╟╫╫╫╫╢

A knock at the door pulled me out of my sleep, and I squinted against the early morning sunlight that poured in through the window. My head was still resting against Loki's chest, and I watched as he stirred beneath me, opening his eyes.

"That's a view I could get used to waking up to," he said, smiling as he brushed a loose coil out of my face.

The knock sounded again.

"Who is it?" Loki called out, and I swatted him, gaping.

"Why would you do that?" I whispered at him.

"Loki?" Thor's bewildered voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Shit," I cursed, slipping out of bed to collect my clothes.

But Loki was faster than me, slipping on his pants on making to open the door. I grabbed a sheet to cover myself and rushed to open the door first, but he beat me to the punch.

On the other side of the door, Thor stood, mouth agape, eyes jumping back and forth between the two of us.

"You can't be surprised by this, brother. The two of us have been rather obvious," Loki smiled, looping an arm around my waist.

I groaned, grimacing at him. "I don't think we've been that obvious."

"Oh you've been plenty obvious I just didn't think it had gotten this far," Thor answered, running a hand through his hair.

"Loki, your brother's a bit of a prude," I chuckled at Thor's red complexion, and avoidance of eye contact.

"I'm not a prude," Thor defended himself, "I've bedded many women. I'm not a prude."

"Say it one more time, perhaps we'll believe you," Loki said, patting his brother on the shoulder, "Now, what did you want? I assume you have a good reason for disturbing the two of us."

"I didn't realize I'd be disturbing the two of you," Thor grumbled, "Father has summoned the three of us to his study. I'll make my way now, let him know the two of you need time to... Put yourselves together."

"We'll be down in ten," Loki said, before glancing back at me and giving me an up-and-down, "Perhaps twenty, actually."

I rolled my eyes, shoving him as Thor closed the door and retreated down the hallway.

I made my way to the closet, looking through the selections. Loki came up behind me, wrapping a hand around my waist and whirling me around.

"It's only the two of us now," he said roughly, "Is that sheet really necessary?"

"Yes," I nodded sharply, pulling away from him with a smile, "We need to get dressed to see your father, and clearly you can't be trusted when I'm anything less than fully clothed."

"Fair enough, you make a good argument," he backed away, turning to collect his clothes which were strewn carelessly about the place.

We dressed quietly, and I felt the heat of his gaze on me as we did. I selected a long-sleeved yellow dress from the closet, fastening a pale brown corset around my waist, and sweeping my hair into a much neater bun on top of my head.

When we were finished, we walked arm-in-arm to the study, chatting as we went. Just as we were coming to the door to the study, a raised voice froze us in our tracks.

"What are you asking of me father?" Thor demanded, voice taught with anger.

"You knew it would come to this eventually, my son," Odin's voice responded tiredly.

"I knew nothing of the sort. Had I known, I would have told her. Rather than letting her feel as though we were her allies. As though she belongs. Before turning on her as though we were her enemies."

"I have exhausted all of my books, all of my knowledge, all of my outside sources. I have not learned how to contain this power. All that has happened, is that I have been assured that these powers are ones that must be contained. You saw the devastation they reaped here. Thank the skies we had healers, else lives might have been lost. That kind of power is too dangerous to return unchecked to Midgard."

"So then, we lock her up? Cage her for the rest of her life?"

"Until we know how to rid her of her powers. Or at least teach her to control them."

"Which might never happen."

"It is a possibility," Odin said gravely.

There was a long, drawn out silence. My voice was stuck in my throat, and my gaze glued to the partially-opened study door. I felt Loki's eyes on me, but couldn't bear to meet his stare.

"I won't have any part in this," Thor said, low and quiet.

"No matter," Odin answered softly, "The palace guard will do the job."

Another silence, followed by rapid footsteps. Now, I looked up at Loki, my eyes widened in alarm. Could I even trust him, or did he already know about Odin's last resort? Judging by the look of panic in his eyes, I made the split-second decision to trust him, just as Thor emerged from the study, slamming the door closed behind him. He made eye contact with me immediately.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, he grabbed me by the upper arm, dragging me off. I stumbled as I was forced to walk backwards. Loki followed after, attempting to pry my arm out of Thor's grip.

"Please," I whispered, keeping my voice low, "Please, Thor, you know I didn't mean to do that. I want more than anything to contain these powers. I'll do whatever. Just don't lock me away."

We turned down a hallway and into a dark room, the only light coming from the sliver of space between two curtains. Thor let me go, and shut the door behind me.

"I won't let it happen," he said as soon as the three of us were alone, "But you cannot stay here. We must return you to Midgard."

I exchanged a dark look with Loki. I would have to leave him. Bodil, Sigrid, Bersi, Thor, I would have to leave them all. And I had no idea what was waiting for me back home. I might be taken by government agents the moment I set foot there. I likely wouldn't have a job anymore. Mae and Gale may not have even been able to keep up with the cost of the motel room. I might not have a home.

But all that seemed favourable to being a prisoner here. If the government was after me, I could always go into hiding. But there was no hiding here, in Asgard. I looked back to Thor, nodding my head.

"Alright. So how do we do this?"

Thor nodded. "Wait here."

He left the room, and for a moment I wondered whether he might be bringing the palace guard. But then Loki cleared his throat and all other thoughts seemed to melt away.

"I'll be back here one day, I swear," I said, balling my fist, "I may live in Midgard but I've made a home here too. I won't let Odin keep me from it forever."

"You'd better," he said, planting a kiss on my forehead, "Else I may have to pay you a surprise visit down the road."

I smiled, tilting my head up to kiss him. I didn't know what we had between us. It was certainly no relationship of trust and love. But I knew I would miss him. I would miss his infuriating comments, and his smug smile.

Just as I pulled away from him, the door swung open, and Thor entered with four others.

"Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral," Loki named them one by one as they poured inside, "You sure you can trust these lot?"

"I won't lie, I believe Odin is right in jailing you," the woman, Sif, said to me, "But who am I to deny a queen?"

As though on queue, Frigga strode in last, closing the door behind her.

"I won't let this happen to you, Alivia," she assured me, "Once you've gotten away, I will make certain that none come looking for you in Midgard."

"We need this done quickly, and quietly," Thor ordered, as I tried to nod my thanks to Frigga, "We'll sneak into the hangar, while the lot of you keep the guards' attention elsewhere. Loki, Alivia, and I will fly low on the water, and travel to the Bifrost. Mother, you must see to it that father is distracted until Alivia is well out of Asgard."

"And if Heimdall doesn't agree with your decision to return her?" the bearded one, Volstagg, asked.

"We will just have to hope that he does."

"This has got to be the most half-assed plan I've ever heard," Loki shook his head disdainfully.

"Well I hope you'll forgive me, I only had two minutes to come up with it," Thor spat back.

"I don't see you throwing out any better ideas," Sif added.

Loki raised his hands defensively.

"We don't have time to come up with anything else, so if anyone has a better plan, say your piece now." Thor waited, and no one spoke. "Good, then let's make haste. We haven't time to waste."

Thor poked his head outside, scanning the hallway. When he'd determined it was clear, the rest of us followed him out, me in the middle of the group. We took servant's passages and stairways until we'd made it to the hangar.

Thor's friends entered first, and began making a show of complaining to the guards about the state of the ship they'd taken out on their last trip to some foreign realm. The rest of us took the opportunity to board the ship closest to the exit of the hangar.

I swallowed nervously as Thor got the thing working. Unlike a regular plane, this ship made hardly any noise at it lifted off the ground. Also unlike a plane, it had no walls. I took a hesitant step closer to Loki.

"Nervous, darling?" Loki smirked, turning to me.

"To fly on a magical frisbee over a body of water that ends in space, to go to a magical portal to return to earth where a massive sword-bearing, all-seeing man might decide to stop us?" I asked, looking nervously down as the ship lifted into the air, "No, not at all."

"These ships are much safer than the planes you Midgardians use for transport," Loki assured me, "But I can always hold you if that would make you feel better."

I glared at him, pushing past him and standing beside Thor, who maneuvered the ship out of the hangar. We flew over the water, directly beneath the iridescent bridge that led to the Bifrost. I made sure not to look back at the city. I didn't know how I might feel, knowing it could very well be the last time I see it.

Finally, Thor flew us up to land on the bridge, and we exited the ship, making our way slowly into the golden dome I remembered from my entrance into this foreign realm, all that time ago.

Heimdall stood, clutching his sword with his back to us. He looked up when we entered.

"I've been awaiting your arrival," he turned, looking pointedly at me.

"Will you let her go, Heimdall?" Thor asked.

Heimdall took a few step closer to me, and I was captivated by his piercing eyes. "You have no idea the role you've yet to play in the fate of this realm. In the fate of all."

I frowned, but before I could think on those words, he lifted his sword. I froze, sure he was about to strike me down. But instead, he placed the sword into a slot in the middle of the Bifrost. I blinked in wonder as a rainbow portal-like doorway appeared across from me.

"Go," he said, "Go, and do not look back."

I turned to Loki and Thor. Thor was first to wrap me in a hug. "Be safe. And keep up your practice with that sword. Might prove useful one day."

I nodded as he pulled away. Next, I looked to Loki.

"Don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone," I tried to force out a smile.

"You know I can't make that promise," he smiled back, before pressing his lips hard against mine, "But for you, dear, I will try."

When we'd pulled apart, I turned to the portal. I looked to Heimdall. He nodded. I stepped forward, and felt a pull.

A flash of light, and then, I was standing in front of the door to my apartment. For a split second, I worried it may all have been a dream. I looked down. I was still dressed in Asgardian clothes.

I took a step, and raised my fist to knock on the door. I heard footsteps, and the door was pulled open. And there was Mae. Over her shoulder, I saw Gale at the desk. Mae looked me up and down, a look of bewilderment plastered across her face.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

╟╫╫╫╫╢