When Harmony found her eyes fluttering open, meeting a gentle and warm golden glow as they did, she was in a total state of numbness. Everything was still, like her nerves had been shut off. She blinked quickly several times to clear her vision of any blurriness, and the shapes of her surroundings became clearer with each blink. The room was extremely familiar and she couldn't fathom why it then took her so long to realise she was lying in the bed of her master, in his own chambers. For some reason she didn't expect to find herself there.

"Harmony?" Thor's soft voice startled her but she was too worn to have the energy to jump before she turned her head on the pillow to look at him.

Seeing his face brought everything back too quickly. Her chest tightened without warning; she suddenly remembered how every one of her ribs had been broken, how her lung had been punctured, how she couldn't breathe. Exploding into a frenzy of blind fright and panic, Harmony bolted upright, clutching at her throat and chest, expecting, almost certainly, to feel the same pain and struggle there again.

Lunging forward, Thor caught both of her arms in his huge hands, stilling her frantic struggles, giving her a second to realise that there was no labour in breathing, no pain anywhere in her dainty little body. "Calm, calm my love," he muttered soothingly.

He waited for her to calm down and stop her wild struggles and uneven breathing, his hold on her firm but gentle, strong but reassuring. Harmony's wide brown doe eyes found and locked with his, "You're here," she whimpered.

Eyes filling with tears, the girl threw herself at him, locking her arms around him in her weak embrace. She clung to him as tightly as she was able to. His own arms quickly snaked around her and she found herself instantly at peace in his warm hold.

Thor breathed in the scent of her messy hair, closing his eyes, while his hands constricted slightly. He could feel her little heart beating against his chest. It triggered a feeling of wonderful comfort and warmth in his chest. Her heart was beating. She was alive. He hadn't lost her.

"Of course I am here," Thor murmured as he opened his eyes.

Harmony unwrapped her arms from around him as she felt him pull away. The god held her at a distance as if to inspect her. Harmony's eyes flickered away out of her usual timid nature. This time, though, Thor wanted nothing more than to look deep into her big chocolaty eyes, so he caught her face gently by the chin and angled her face directly towards his. "Look at me," he whispered.

Harmony obeyed. She was pleased to be reassured that he wanted her to look at him. Still shyly, her eyes met his, and it took a surprising amount of control on her part not to look away again. Thor smiled, showing his strong white teeth, with a sparkle held in his sapphire orbs. Harmony smiled back, mouth closed, more timid.

Then, she stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Thor asked, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side. He saw the colour drain from her face. Her eyes fell down, glancing rapidly from side to side, thinking intently. "Harmony?" Thor was not a patient man.

She didn't look up. In fact, she didn't appear to have heard him at all. Her mind was cloudy and foggy; nothing made sense, everything was misplaced. Frustration rooted in her core, more like a helpless need for answers. After what seemed like an eternity, Harmony was able to clear a pathway in her head.

Acting before thinking, her body wrenched itself away from Thor, somehow knowing where to go. But before she could get anywhere, the god seized her for a second time, confused, and mildly worried, about her odd behaviour.

"Where is he?" she cried, hands clenched into tiny fists – Thor would have found it sweet if it were an appropriate time.

"He remains in the healing room," he told her. "His wounds were far more grievous than your own, little one."

Harmony swallowed anxiously, the unease rising from her stomach to her chest and then to her throat. Her hands unclenched, only to grip Thor's thick arms as tightly as she could, barely even able to encircle half of his biceps. "I need to see him," she pleaded, her doe eyes searching his own.

"Tomorrow," Thor promised. "His fate remains uncertain. He is still being tended by our healers."

His answer only made her more anxious. Shaking her head quickly from side to side, Harmony felt tears well up in her eyes and her bottom lip tremble.

"No, I need to. I need to—"

"Shh, shh," Thor silenced her, his finger against her soft lips. Harmony gripped his biceps so hard her knuckles turned white, but the god barely felt a thing against his bare skin. "Rest," he ordered gently, "Your body is weak. I will stay with you."

Harmony let herself go limp as Thor took hold of her by the waist and laid her back down, tucking her in like a small child. He had never cared this way about anyone before. Any being in the Nine Realms would have been shocked to death to see such behaviour from the mighty Thunderer. Harmony had never been handled in such a tender way by anyone in her life; she was so used to being shoved about like filth. Even her old mistress had not been so kind in such a way. She found she loved it.

Thor sat down on the bed beside her, leaning protectively over her, his hand placed firmly down on the mattress on the other side of her. His eyes were calm, yet still so strong and piercing and Harmony found she was too shy to look into them for long. But she nearly always smiled when she did make eye contact, and Thor would always smile back at her softly.

He was close but Harmony wanted him closer. With her tiny timid hands, she touched his chest, unable to reach his broad shoulder and very gently pulled, silently asking for him to come closer to her. A part of her still felt wrong in doing so. It was more than wrong for a slave to ask something of their owner, even more so if their owner was a god and prince. In the back of her mind, she was waiting for some kind of punishment or rejection of affection.

Her eyes showed her doubt and paranoid fears, pleading and innocent. Thor's large body turned, angled directly towards her, before he leaned down to kiss her forehead. He then turned his back to her and Harmony's chest began to hurt with bitter emotion as she saw she wasn't going to get the attention and affection she so desperately wanted. But Thor then leaned over to take off his boots and she realised, her heart lifting again, that he wasn't going to do what she feared he might.

She pulled the covers back a little bit, asking him to settle in with her instead of just beside her. Thor pulled the covers back himself the rest of the way and laid down carefully, his arm winding around her shoulders. Harmony snuggled close to his huge, warm body, nuzzling his chest with her nose. Thor covered them both up with the sheets and blankets before he started stroking her dark curly hair with his other hand. The girl shuffled closer still, clinging on to his neck with her arm while her other arm was trapped still between their chests.

Harmony nuzzled him again when he found a particular spot where she liked to be stroked. Thor smiled down at her with a self-satisfied sigh. He stroked her in that place for a while before moving away but later moving back again.

"How did you find me?" Harmony suddenly quietly asked.

"The letter Astrid gave you was found in one of the halls," the god said the sorceress' name with dark hatred. "It led us straight to you. Loki was able to transport us there. It was the quickest option and I could not allow a second of time to be wasted. It was almost too late when we found you. I will never be able to forgive myself."

Harmony looked up at him. Her eyes were sad and begging. "Why?" she whispered.

"Harmony," the god began, voice even deeper than normal, "you were on the brink of death when we found you. If Loki and I had got there just a few seconds later, she would have killed you. The witch was a coward. No better than the Frost Giants." His growling voice made Harmony cower herself in his arms. She dropped her head immediately into a submissive stance as his grip tightened around her that it almost hurt.

"Thor," she whimpered, fidgeting.

Thor suddenly realised what he was doing and instantly loosened his arms, eyes filled with worry. He scolded himself harshly in his head. He could never afford to lose control around his mortal; she was too fragile, too breakable. It almost surprised him she hadn't shattered like glass. He sighed, "Forgive me, my love."

He wanted to say more. He was sure she already knew though; he had said it all before when she was attacked by the Frost Giants. It made his blood boil with rage at the thought of an innocent child being hurt by a being far more powerful and strong. It tore at his heart to imagine the things Astrid did to his Harmony while she was so helpless.

Harmony looked up at him again, gaze soft and kind. "Please don't blame yourself. You saved my life," she murmured sweetly. Grasping at his shoulder, the girl pulled herself up to reach Thor's lips with her own. "I can't thank you enough."

"I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you out of harm's way," he vowed, cupping her face to hold her gaze. "No one shall ever hurt you again." He then kissed her, slowly, tenderly but she could feel him holding himself back. "You must rest, little tiny one."

Harmony nodded. She fidgeted for a few moments to find her most comfortable position in his arms before closing her eyes and shuffling as close as physically possible to her master's body. She was weak and tired; she soon fell into the soft clutches of sleep.

When Harmony next awoke, it was early morning. She was unsure of how long she'd slept for but had an anxious feeling that it had been too long. Thor's arms were still encircled around her, holding her warm and safe. Harmony expected to see him still fast asleep when she looked up but he was wide awake and looking directly down at her, his eyes predatory. She immediately turned her eyes downwards, while his arms constricted, her body moving to match each and every of his own movements.

"You wish to see the boy," Thor's voice startled her.

She nodded without words, glancing up with her eyes taking on their pleading glitter without intending to, though she prayed more than anything he would let her. She was sure she was well rested enough by now.

"Come then, my love," Thor left her cold without his embrace.

The god and the mortal both washed and dressed. Harmony couldn't work herself quickly enough. Her heart throbbed painfully with anxiety. Every second mattered. Not a minute could be wasted. Thor did not share her nervousness and desperation. He had no personal feelings towards the mortal boy, other than pity, but he knew full well how much he meant to Harmony and wished for him to live. When he came out of the bathroom, he found Harmony fidgeting beyond hope of controlling herself. He led her silently to the healing room with his heavy arm around her shoulders.

Thor was forced to drop his arm when they came to the healing room. People still could not see the closeness between the prince and his slave. Hunter was not hard to find, given he was the only patient and had three Asgardian healers tending him. Harmony bolted with no control over her trembling body. She half expected the healers to be startled by her sudden intrusion. They merely turned their heads slowly in her direction before parting calmly to allow her to see the mortal boy, not uttering a word. At the sight of the God of Thunder, they all bowed meekly.

Ignoring all other presences, Harmony cupped Hunter's cold cheek with one hand while the other brushed his messy fringe out of his eyes, like how a mother would to their child. She tried to hold herself together but tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill over. She felt his chest. He was breathing! He was alive! Filled with joy, Harmony kissed his forehead several times, hoping now he would wake up.

"He will not wake," one of the healers said, his voice even and calm.

"What?" Harmony squeaked, turning abruptly. A tear from each eye slid down her flushed cheeks.

"He is in a state of deep sleep, in between life and death," the healer told her. "We have done everything in our power to ensure he returns to full health." Harmony didn't believe him. She found it impossible to even think about believing him. Why would they waste their time with a mortal slave? But still she nodded.

The healers seemed to drift away. Only Thor moved closer. He could not bear to see Harmony in such a state. When she burst into unstoppable tears, he did not hesitate to move forward and comfort her. "Shh, shh," he whispered. "Our healers have the utmost talent and skill. The boy will return to us."

"His name is HUNTER!" Harmony screamed ferociously.

Suddenly her hands flew over her mouth, eyes widened so much it hurt. She'd raised her voice, worse still, at the prince of Asgard. What had she done?

Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth dried. Afraid that more words would only make things worse, she sealed her lips, just waiting for the god's reaction. His face was stiff and she could see simmering angering behind his eyes. Thor was not used to being spoken to in such a manner, not even from somebody like his father. His natural reaction for centuries to any threat or rival aggression had been to destroy it. Losing his temper was the last thing he could afford to do, or come anywhere near that point. He forced himself to throw chains on his monstrous rage and take a step further to understand why his little girl had lashed out at him.

He took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Harmony. I did not mean to upset you."

Harmony nodded her head timidly as she pressed her lips in a tight thin line in an attempt to lock her emotions inside her. She placed her hand Thor's, unsure if he'd pull away or not, but to her relief he covered her little hand with his own. Thor understood how vulnerable she was. He could not recall ever feeling such a way himself; he had seen it enough though in his age long life.

Harmony and Thor sat by Hunter's side for what seemed like forever. It was nowhere near long enough for Harmony. Tears had spilled, wave after wave, unstoppable, untameable, since the beginning of that forever from the broken girl. At first, she tried to hold herself back. By now she'd learned that there was no stopping it, no matter how much she wanted it to stop.

Seeing her cry like that made Thor's heart ache. He was a mighty warrior, proud and unimaginably powerful god; he could bring down any foe in the Nine Realms. He wasn't sure how to stop his little slave crying though.

In the end, it was too much for him to bear, seeing her so hurt and broken, and knowing every second made it all so much worse. He stood up before bending at the waist to pick up the weightless mortal. As he expected, she struggled, her cries turned to screams in a desperate effort to stay with Hunter. He needed her. There was no way she could even imagine leaving his side, willing him back to life.

Thor placed her carefully over his shoulder and back to his chambers. He lay with her in his bed all day. She battled and screamed but he held her. Just held her.

In the end, Harmony exhausted herself, near the border of temporary madness. Every now and then she would forget why she was crying and why she was so desperate for something. It would always come back in the end and she would release another waterfall. Thor didn't see an end to it so he did something he would probably live to regret later: he pressed his fingers to her temples and applied strength, and knocked her out.

Harmony was allowed as much time off work as she needed to recover. For once, being mortal came in handy; she was so much more delicate and frail than anyone else and would need special treatment.

It took almost two days for her to cease crying. She was surprised Thor had tolerated her all that time. She was sure anyone else would have thrown her aside to rot in the dirt for her sobbing. But Thor had held her, fed her and comforted her hour after hour.

Harmony wanted nothing but for it to all end, for Hunter to come back, for the pain to stop. Thor could not stay with her forever; his duties had to be fulfilled, and he was left without choice but to leave her. His body tried physically resisting his commands. For the first time, in possibly his entire life or living memory, Thor was truly afraid. Without him, there'd be no one to look after the girl. No one else would care. And he could go to no one to ask for help otherwise would risk Asgard discovering their close bond. All Thor could do when he was forced to leave was to gently knock her unconscious again and hope she would be all right.

However there was still a long time left before he returned when Harmony awoke again. At first, she cried. Certain that she had been abandoned, she hugged a pillow close and sobbed so hard it hurt. But after a while, she managed to calm down and cease her tears. Messily, she wiped eyes and tried to unblock her nose with a big sniff. She found a handkerchief and blew her nose on it and then placed it in her pocket.

Now she was alone, there was no one to stop her from returning to Hunter. Despite the voice in her head warning her not to do so, she walked briskly to the healing room. This time there was only one healer by the boy's bedside. They did not seem to notice her as she sat down, taking Hunter's hand in her own. His skin was soft against hers. She never wanted to let go ever again, and every time her emotion threatened to spill, she would grit her teeth and take the deepest breath possible to hold herself together. In time, the healer finished whatever they were doing and left her alone with the sleeping boy.

"There is a way to save him," a voice said behind her. The sound made Harmony jump out of her skin. She spun round with a small yelp to find herself looking at the God of Mischief.

The dark haired god stepped out of the shadows, and it was only then that Harmony saw that the healer was nowhere to be seen and it was only them. The frail girl watched him closely as took a couple of slow steps closer, waiting anxiously for him to speak.

"I have knowledge and power enough to return him to you," Loki said.

The sun rose high in Harmony's chest; for the first time since she could remember she actually smiled. She felt lighter than a feather. Hope was her breeze.

"Can you?" she whispered.

"I have been honing my skills, and yes, I believe I could return him to full health," Loki nodded, calm and self-confident.

Harmony nodded vigorously, unable to find her words. Her eyes gleamed with a beautiful mixture of hope and joy, sparkling like chocolaty diamonds.

"But," the god began, "the memory and trauma of past events would leave him a ruined and broken soul. I doubt he'd ever be the same again. What Astrid did was unforgivable and I daresay irreversible."

Harmony's happiness drained as quickly as it had risen. Either she let Hunter die and lose him forever, or she return him to life as a traumatized and broken boy with memories that would haunt him forever and ever.

"It is your choice, Harmony."

Please review!

Now what should happen to Hunter:

a) He should die

b) He should live with his trauma

c) Mystery option! (PM me for more!)

Love and hugs xxx