Part 11

Hey all! Decided to post this today instead of tomorrow because tomorrow is Thursday, and *in Rapunzel voice* "It's my birthday!" Yay, I'll be 17!!

~Music~

Beginning: Mortal Instruments Opening/Clary's Theme (Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack)

Dance: Kingdom Dance (Tangled soundtrack)

End: Godric's Hollow Graveyard (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1)

Part XI (11)

~Nobody's POV

        That evening, after a dinner that she had shared with only Thor (Loki had bowed out, which left the dinner extremely awkward and almost completely silent), Thea takes Klaka into her room. The puppy is wide awake now, and bouncing around her feet, yipping loudly before he runs to the large wooden rectangular box filled with soft linens that is his bed.

        According to Thor, who had greeted Klaka with slightly more enthusiasm than Loki had, it is Asgardian tradition to keep dogs off of beds, as it was a show of respect to the owner. Thea hadn't cared for this rule, but she accepted it, mostly to get Thor out of the room.

        While Klaka occupies himself by rolling around in his wooden box, and after she changes into a light-colored nightgown that trails her feet, Thea settles onto a mahogany chair at a small glass desk. She takes out the letters that Thor had given her earlier, and, hesitating slightly, opens the first one.

Hi Thea!

I hope Asgard is going well. It's a little boring over here, mostly because Stark Tower is as uncrowded as ever. Although, Bruce got here, but he and Tony just spend their time locked up in the centre of the building, their labs. Pete's been AWOL too, so I suppose he's doing some sort of spidery mission. So basically, I just go to school and come back here. How are you doing, mate? I miss ya. Send me a reply, would you? -Jack

        There are two more, and Thea already knows who they are from.

Missy,

Do me a favor and stop me from getting a heart attack by actually sending me something. You can send me a page of scribbles for all I care. - Kyle

Thea,

Hey, how are you doing? We miss you down here...Look, I know you might now want to talk to us-or anyone- but we're worried about you down here. Kyle keeps threatening to come up to Asgard, even if that were possible. But anyway, we all care about you, and have your back. I just want you to be happy, so you can come home. -Max

        Thea looks at the three notes, and considers them. She runs her fingers along the pages, loving the tangibility of holding something that links her with those at home. She lies her arms on the desk, then her head on her arms and stares out towards the open window, blinking rapidly. She's homesick and heartsick all at once.

        Then, sitting up straighter, she grabs a piece of paper from a drawer. She can't find a pen, but when she digs through her rucksack, she finds one at the bottom, next to the Asgardian journal that she had taken with her. She takes a seat back at the desk and, uncapping the pen, begins to write.

Jack,

I miss you too. I sort of feel lonely without you, like a hole. Asgard is okay, but I want to go home. Tell Bruce I said hi. ~Thea

        Her letters to Kyle and Max are similarly short, although she does mention that she is sorry for worrying them. Just as she is sliding the letters inside envelopes, she hears the door open, and Klaka running across the room. Looking up, she sees Loki has walked into the room, and is currently trying to stop the energetic puppy from leaping up on him.

        "Thor sent me to get these letters," says Loki, nodding towards her desk.

        "How did he know that I would write them?" asks Thea, rolling the pen across the desk and avoiding looking at Loki.

        "He didn't. I did." Loki holds his hand out. Thea reluctantly gives him the three letters, and he begins to walk out of the room without another word.

        But before he can make the door, Thea hurries across the room and grabs his arm, "L-Loki?"

        "What?" he asks, pushing Klaka, who is still trying to leap up on him, with his foot.

        "Can...can I...can I have my dagger back?"

        Loki looks down at her, and his eyes narrow. "Why?"

        Thea studies the intricate designs of the carved wood around the doorway, "B-because..."

        "Because why?"

        She answers in a rush, "What if something tries to kill me?"

        Loki frowns, and looking at her scared face, he knows in an instant that she is not lying. "Nothing is going to kill you, Thea. You are perfectly safe here."

        "But-"

        "Let me see your wrists."

        "What?"

        Putting the letters in a pocket of his armor, he holds out his hands, "Let me see your wrists."

        Hesitantly, she lets him take her wrists. As his fingers turn them over, exposing the ugly red marks, she winces. Loki looks at them for a couple minutes. Then, in a voice much cooler than she had been expecting, he says, "You will not get your dagger until those cuts are completely healed."

        "But-"

        "But nothing. I don't care how scared you are, I won't allow that blade near you until I see fit."

        Thea's lip is trembling, "But the-"

        "That's my final word."

        "You have t-"

        "Thea."

        She swallows, and Loki sees tears in her eyes. He says in a gentler voice, "I am sorry, Thea. I know the night scares you. But you have Klaka now, and I want you- I need you- to face your demons. You can't- oh Thea, please, darling, stop crying."

        Thea shakes her head, pursing her lips and then wraps her arms around him, her face pushes against his chest, her shoulders shaking. Klaka whines and paws Thea's skirts. Loki, in the meanwhile, sighs and puts his hand on her hair. Leaning down, he kisses the top of her head and murmurs, "No more crying. No more."

        She looks up at him, her green eyes bright with tears, "I'm scared."

        "I know you are," says Loki, "But I know that you are stronger than that fear. You can do this. I promise you."

        "I see her at night," she whispers.

Loki knows who Thea is talking about, "It is not her that you see. It is the memory that reveals itself to you."

"Why... did she have to go? Why couldn't I have gone instead?"

Loki's eyes flash in pain, but he knows that if he tells Thea what he is truly thinking, then she will grow irate. "Thea," he begins, but finds that he cannot finish his thought. Instead, he encircles her in his arms and holds her until she stops crying.

*

Loki may believe that Thea can fight her own demons, but that night, she tosses and turns in her sleep, crying out in fear and clutching the blankets unconsciously. She doesn't know it, but Klaka is whining on the floor, scratching the bed and trying to get up to Thea, but the mattress is too high up, even for his prodigious jumping skills. Thea is forced to face the terrors of the night on her own, and those of future nights, with only the sounds of Klaka's whimpers that mimic her own to console her.

    *

And so continues the week. Thea is quiet, but lonely, and she begins to follow Loki around the palace several times throughout the day.

One night, as the stars had shone bright in the sky, Volstagg, Sif, and Loki had been in an expansive room lit only by several bright lanterns, sitting on long wooden benches around a glowing fire, when a small figure appeared at the door. Volstagg had laughed merrily as Thea, dressed in her white night gown and her small face illuminated in the blazing fire, had tentatively walked towards them, playing with the edges of her gown nervously. "She's become your little shadow, hasn't she?"

    Sif, who had been lounging on a dark-colored couch, fully expected Loki to tell Thea off for interrupting him so late at night. But she had raised her eyebrows in surprise as instead, Loki had held out his arm to Thea and fondly said, as she had snuggled up next to him on the long seat, "Yes, she has."

    Loki had carried on the conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, running his fingers through Thea's dirty-blonde hair as he did so. Sif had had to try very hard to mask her astonishment at the sight of the young girl falling asleep in Loki's arms. Loki had seen the look, however, and smirked at her openly.  

        But there are some days when Loki requires space from Thea. One afternoon, as she appeared in one of the cloisters, Loki had told her in an affronted voice, "Go, Thea. I cannot be with you right now."

        "But-" she had began, but Loki interrupted her.

        "Go play with Klaka, Thea," said Loki, and gestured to the excitable puppy, who was chasing his tail, "And while you're at it, at least attempt to teach him manners."

"Okay," said Thea dejectedly as Loki had vanished into another room, shutting the door firmly behind him.  

        Indeed though, Klaka proves himself to be a loyal companion. He spends most of his days following Thea around the palace as she explores, wagging his tail, perking up his bat-like ears, and picking up his paws as he attempts to regally follow his mistress.

        Loki may have encouraged Thea to train  Klaka, but she has a hard time resisting the puppy's doe-like eyes and soft whimpers. Eventually, slightly exasperated by the fact that Klaka will not stop jumping on him, and that Thea will do nothing about it (instead she just laughs), and after issuing multiple threats to have the dog thrown out, all of which both he and Thea know perfectly well will not happen, Loki turns part the responsibility of training Klaka to Fandral.

        Fandral owns several dogs, many of them looking like an older version of Klaka. Thea spends several afternoons with the Asgardian warrior as the two of them go through countless exercises with Klaka. During one of these sessions, Thea discovers that Klaka originates half from his mother, from a race of giant wild timber wolves that make their homes in the forests to the north of the palace, and half from his father, part of a breed of royal dogs raised for loyalty and dignity.

        "I don't know how much dignity he has," admits Fandral as Klaka rolls around on the dirt, yipping at a flock of ravens and then promptly falling over, "But certainly, he is loyal. And he has the spirit and energy of his mother."

        It was for these lupine traits that most- including Dagan- had not wanted the accidental litter. "Most times they just drown the lot," said Fandral casually as he had thrown a bit of meat to Klaka, who had been staying in one spot for a full minute and was literally shaking from anticipation.

        This information had led to Thea running tearfully to Loki and demanding what had happened to Klaka's brothers and sisters.

        "They're in the palace kennels," said Loki, trying not to look frazzled. "They're fine. Go back to Fandral."

        Indeed, Thea enjoys the time with Fandral and Klaka during those golden afternoons in the sun so much, she completely misses the fact that Loki vanishes for several hours at a time. Nobody else notices either, mostly because Thea would have been the only person to truly care, and seeing as she is preoccupied with her dog, Loki is free to do whatever he pleases.

        And he does.

*

        One afternoon finds Thea sitting on a stone wall between two giant columns that tower up to the highest reaches of the palace. She is leaning against the left column, her light purple skirts swirling at her ankles in the slight breeze. She has a book in her hands; although she cannot read the ancient Asgardian print, she loves to look at the beautifully colored and moving drawings, and to feel the embellished and raised letters on the pages. Klaka is playing at her feet, prancing around happily and chewing at a bone that Fandral had given him at the end of a training session.

        Thea, although quiet, has a feeling of peace as she watches the activity around her. Her wall is at the edge of a courtyard, and it is full of activity. There are multiple warriors training, and even a few children not much older than Thea join in the hubbub. Flocks of birds soar around through the columns, causing Klaka to bark even louder and to chase them for several paces before Thea clicks for him to come back. She had discovered with Fandral that she does not have the ability to whistle, and instead, she clicks with her tongue to summon the puppy.

        Moments later, Thea hears footsteps, and turns around to see Thor walking towards her. He is dressed in his armor, as per usual, and his bright red cape blows behind his shoulders in the wind. Thea looks down, but looks up above her book as the thunder god approaches her. She notices that he looks solemn, his lips pressed together, but his blue eyes are bright and hopeful.

        "Hello Thea," he says, coming to a stop in front of her wall and smiling at her- even though the wall is quite high, Thor is so tall, he is nearly eye level with Thea. He bends down to pet Klaka, who looks very happy that someone besides Thea is giving him attention, "Hello Klaka," says Thor, fondling the puppy's ears.

        "Hi," whispers Thea, tucking some of her blonde hair absentmindedly behind her ear. She doesn't quite know what to do with her eyes; she's too shy to look at Thor.

        Thor leans against the column and clasps his hands together. Looking up at her, he says, "Thea, I want you to know how terribly sorry I am for the words that I spoke to you. Although you should know that I do not believe what I said, I know that it hurt you, and for that, I am truly sorry."

        Thea swallows and then right into Thor's bright blue eyes. "It's..it's all right."

        "I also retract my words about Loki. I had no intent of keeping the two of your apart, for I know that he needs you just as you need him. And I don't, after all, suppose that he is a bastard," Thor smiles, "I say that only when I am most angered at him and have no other meritable response."

        Thea studies her fingers and nods.

        Thor nods too. Then, he says, "Thea, there is a festival held at the palace tomorrow, and I would be very happy if you would join us. I know you prefer to keep to yourself, but this is a time for celebration and festivity, not for loneliness."

        "What's the festival?"

        "It is held once a month, near the full moon." Thea looks even more hopeful, "There are challenges, dancing, feasting, and the special Stjarna ritual. Stjarna means-"

        "Star," says Thea, "It means star."

        Thor looks surprised, "Yes, indeed it does. Where did you learn that?"

        "I rode a horse named Stjarna the day I got Klaka."

        "Ah," says Thor, nodding in comprehension, "Well the Stjarna ritual is when we release the essences of stars that have served as tools in our weapons for centuries back into the night sky. It is a celebration of vitality and hope for all of us who fight in our everyday lives. He's a lively little tyke, isn't he?" Thor chuckles as he picks up a barking Klaka who attempts to wriggle out of the Norse god's brawny arms and then when he fails, begins licking Thor's face enthusiastically.

        Thea is still studying her fingers.

        "What say you?" asks Thor, smiling at her gently, "It's an excuse to dress up and have fun, is it not?"  

        "I guess," says Thea.

        "Will you go?" asks Thor.

        "I guess," says Thea, fingering the pages of her book impatiently.

        Thor notices, "I see you wish to be left alone with your reading. I will comply, and I look forward to seeing you at the festival."

        "Thor," says Thea, just as Thor, who has set down Klaka (Klaka now goes running to scare another flock of ravens), "Why haven't there been any more letters?"

        He raises an eyebrow, "Do you not know?"

        Thea shakes her head.

        "Ah," says Thor, a small smile playing at his lips, "Well then you shall have to take it up with Loki."

        "Loki?" Thea is confused.

        Thor nods, still smiling, and then says, as he turns around, "I will be by your chambers tomorrow evening."

        Thea makes a face at his retreating back. As soon as Thor vanishes in another long cloister that leads to the palace, she hops off of the stone wall and runs the other way, Klaka at her heels.

    Thinking, Thea heads into the throne room, hoping to find Loki there. Instead, she comes face to face with the eyepatched, intimidating King Odin, Asgard's All-Father. She skids to a halt with wide eyes and freezes, covering her mouth with her hand to stop her squeak of surprise.

        Odin is with several armed guards and does not seem to want to be bothered, and his frown deepens as Klaka runs into the throne room, his barks echoing in the hall.

        Thea swallows. She had seen the All-Father only two times. Once, in this very room arguing with Loki, and once when she had been disguised as a servant girl on the way to Myrinea's lair. She had never met him. And looking at his furrowed brow, pursed lips, and commandeering stance, she's not she that she wants to.

        "I...I..." she stammers, praying that Klaka will stop yipping his head off and get back to her- he's getting very loud, "I'm...so...so sorry."

        "You're the mortal girl, Thea, correct?" asks Odin in a short voice.

        "Yes," Thea squeaks, finally scooping up a squirming Klaka in her arms. "I'm sorry."

        "Why are you in my throne room?"

        "I...I..." stutters Thea, "I'm just... going now."

        "So I can see. But my question was what you were doing in here in the first place."

        "Er.." says Thea brilliantly. She doesn't want to tell him that she is looking for his forsaken stepson, because the interaction she had seen seen between the two of them had been decidedly unfriendly.

        "Speak up, mortal. You're taking up enough of my valuable time with your flimsy tongue."

        Thea can't think of a way around this. "I...I was looking for...for Loki."

        Odin's expression does not change. "I do not know where he is. I would advise the courtyard or the stables, for there he can cause the most trouble. Now leave us."

        Thea doesn't need to be told twice. Still holding Klaka tightly in her arms, she hurries out of there as quickly as possible.

        Fifteen minutes later- the throne room is about the farthest room from the far side of the palace possible- she runs into the main courtyard, a huge, towering space filled with warriors practicing their skills. It doesn't take long for her to determine that Loki isn't there.

        She doesn't get to talk to him until two hours later, when he finds her sitting and playing with Klaka in the corridor outside her bedroom.

        "Were you looking for me?" he asks, stepping over an enthusiastic Klaka and sending the puppy rolling.

        "Yes," Thea looks up at him, "Why don't I have any letters?"

        "Because," says Loki, sitting down next to her and throwing the baseball Thea had brought-Bryce's baseball- for Klaka to catch, and hopefully be preoccupied with, "I want you isolated from Earth for a while."

        She frowns so that a prominent "11" etches into her forehead. "Why?"

        "You do not need to be reminded of that life right now. You're healing- do not give me that look- and I do not want you distracted."

        "But-"

        "Thea, stop questioning me. I'm doing this for a reason." When her frown deepens, Loki reaches forward and gently touches her creased forehead, "You are going to have a permanent scowl on that forehead if you keep it up."

        "But what about Jack?" Thea asks. When she sees Loki's lips twitch in a smile, she says hastily as she pets a triumphant Klaka and throws the ball for him again, "And Peter. And Max and Kyle and everyone."

        She's flushing.

        Loki's smile broadens, and chuckling, he says, "You'll talk to them again, I promise. As for Jack, he is old enough to know what is best for you. Additionally," he seems to be taking pleasure in Thea's increased blushing, "Additionally, you and that rascal are doing something that I always knew would happen."

        "What?" Thea asks, still blushing ferociously. She covers her face with her hands to try to stop the heat but to no avail. "What are we doing?"

        "You're falling in love."

        "What?!" Thea squeaks, "No, no, NO he's my best friend! No love, no love in any! We're close but not..." She stumbles with her words, "Not in love!"

        It's clear that Loki is enjoying himself as he smirks and says, "Perhaps not yet, kitten, but I know 'closeness' when I see it. Mark my words."

        "No, no, no no," Thea stammers, "None of that."

        Thea is now approximately the shade of a tomato.

        Loki's smirk softens slightly as he says in a quieter voice, "And I am more than happy. This shows that you are healing from your past and realizing what the world has to offer. "Not", he adds "That I am promoting this. You're far too young."

        "I am not!" Thea widens her eyes and then adds rapidly, "Not that anything is happening, not at all because it's NOT hap-"

        She falls short because Loki is laughing.

        "Thea, you might be a talented liar, but when it comes to your heart, your revealing curtain pulls up. The fact that you blush easily is another thing."

        Thea mutters something like "Shut up" and tries to cover up her face even more. Klaka has returned with the baseball- which he knows not to chew- and lies contentedly next to Thea, his warm puppy body warming her feet.

        "I will spare you and end this discussion with this one last thing: if Jack does anything to hurt you in any way, be it your body or your heart,I want to hear about it." He holds up his hand to stop her protests, "I know Jack is admirable, but I am just warning you. Both of you. Because if I don't hear it from you, I will hear it from someone else, and believe me, that will be far worse for you both."

        He reaches forward and strokes Klaka's head. The puppy whines and licks his fingers. "Do I have your word, Thea?"

        "But-"

        He raises his eyebrow, which is enough.        

        "Yes," Thea sighs, "But do I have to go to the festival?"

        "Yes."

        "Loooooki!!"

        "Stop whining. Come this evening, I fully expect you to be dressed, and I fully expect you to have a smile on your face. All right?"

        "Fine," grumbles Thea, "But it will be awful."

        "Don't count your chickens before they've hatched," says Loki, and then smiles, "I learned that saying from someone nearly a year ago. Do you remember?"

        "Yeah," says Thea, still looking stormy, "And you called me stupid or something like that."

        "I did?" asks Loki, pretending to be completely oblivious to her annoyance, "I don't seem to recall."

        Thea groans.

        Loki laughs, and then stands up. "I'll see you tonight, Thea."

        "Maybe," says Thea.

        "Oh no," says Loki turning back and saying, "I will most certainly be seeing you tonight."               

        "Or else?" Thea asks, then instantly regrets it when Loki grins again.

        "Or else I'll have to inform Kyle of your and Jack's budding romance."

        "Kyle?" Thea exclaims. "You hate Kyle!"

        "We might not get along," says Loki, "But we both certainly know how to give you a hard time."

        "You've got that right," mutters Thea.

*

        That evening, as expected, there comes a heavy knock at the golden door. When Thea opens it, she sees Thor standing there, still in his traditional armor. He looks less rugged and weary than he had this morning, and cheerfully greets her.

        Thor is pleased that Thea has changed into a beautiful satin dress. It has golden lace on the sleeves and across the neckline, and the sleeves are long, hanging down below her waist. Ruffles hang down the front elegently. She is wearing the beautiful necklace from her mother, and her long hair hangs in a messy ponytail around her shoulders. "You look lovely, Thea."

        Her cheeks turn red, "Thank you," she whispers, picking at the soft fabric and looking down.

        Thor smiles, then offers his arm out to her, "Shall we?" Hesitantly, she wraps her arm around his and he leads her out of the room, "I am very proud of you, Thea, for coming down with us tonight. Although I cannot imagine that my brother gave you much of a choice about the matter." He pauses, for he has won a smile from Thea, then adds, "I, unfortunately, will be making an entrance by myself, as my father has declined the celebrations for the night. This is why I will be handing you off to Loki temporarily, at least until the necessities have been completed."

        They find Loki near the entrance to the throne room. He is wearing what Jack used to call his "reindeer gear", with his green and gold armor and golden horned helmet. Loki glances at Thea and then nods to Thor, "Once you are done kissing up to the public-"

        Thor cannot help but smile, "Shut up, Loki."

        "Once you're done," Loki smirks, "Volstagg wishes to see you. I have the unfortunate feeling that it has something to do with the bet you two made last fall."

        Thor chuckles at this, and then nods. Turning to Thea, he squeezes her hand and then walks away, red cape swishing behind him. Thea watches him go slightly regretfully. She had been meaning to ask him about his visit to Earth. Had she he seen Jack? Peter? What about the Calen brothers? She wonders if Max and Kyle are still in New York, or if they are in Massachusetts by now. Thinking about it, Thea feels extraordinarily isolated from everyone else, like a sheltered bird in some sort of beautiful yet compressing cage.

        Her thoughts are interrupted as her hair falls from her ponytail- it had been held together loosely by a bobby pin and a too-long hair tie. She groans in annoyance and is attempting to straighten it out when someone grabs ahold of her hair. "Ow! Loki!" She yelps she feels Loki twisting her hair tightly.

        "Hold still kitten," he chuckles as he continues to tie her hair in a long plait down her back, "And stop whining, this doesn't even hurt."

        "You're pulling too hard, OUCH, you did that on purpose!" She tries to turn around and glare at him after he had playfully pulled the braid as he tied it up with the barrette.

        "Yes I did," he says, flipping braided hair up into a basket fix, securing it with the bobby pin he has snatched from her hand, "And stop squirming. I'm almost done."

        "My hair was fine," she pouts, "It's probably going to fall down anyway."

        "Well then it will fall down in style," says Loki superiorly. He turns her around by the shoulders and taps her nose, "Smile, Thea."

        "Nn nn," she says, wrinkling her nose stubbornly.

"Smile," he says, his eyes twinkling, "Or I will make you."

        She crosses her gossamer-sleeved arms and glares up at him with such fierce determination, Loki is almost inclined to surrender. But then, raising his eyebrows, he grabs her around the waist and begins to tickle her aggressively. She squeals loudly and tries to escape, but he merely scoops her up, tossing her over his shoulder.

        Her gleeful laughs reverberate off of the long hallway as she flails upside-down in his arms, "Lo-o-ki-i-i!" she gasps, for she can hardly get out a word, she is laughing so hard. Then she lets out a small shriek as Loki flips her around, setting her back down on the ground.

        He bends down so that he is level with her face and smiles broadly when he sees her still grinning, "There," he says quietly, for the trumpets have begun their fanfare, "And make sure it stays that way."

        "My hair is ruined again," says Thea in an apparent attempt to remain steadfastly cranky.

        "Well," says Loki, and he seizes her hair once more, re-braids it, and simply lets it hang, "Don't try my patience again, little one."

        Thea makes a face at him, and although Loki reciprocates the action, he can't help but feel relieved. The quiet, timid, younger-sounding Thea that has seen for the past several days is not at all the same daring, sassy, and somewhat bossy Thea that he has known for nearly a year. This just might be a step in the right direction.

*

        Two hours later, the sound of some sort of violin begins to echo through the banquet hall and courtyard. Lanterns hang from the potted bowls of plants drooping from the eves, and ivy-like plants climb down the columns. The dining hall, with long huge wooden tables and stone arches, is clearing out, as the feast had ended some while ago. It opens to a giant rectangular courtyard, with stone pathways, trees, sweeping banisters, several benches and other plush chairs, and cloisters up above the rectangle.

        Amongst the lantern light, about five hundred people roam about. Regal looking women walk arm-in-arm with armored men, their skirts flowing about them effortlessly. Little children run squealing and chasing each other through the crowd, sometimes accompanied by a barking dog or two. Some of the older children stand about, talking to each other in obviously imperial voices, as do all youngsters who think they're old, but aren't quite grown yet.

        This entire time, amongst the regales, the bowing, and the drinking, Thea has stuck to the shadows, like a ghost flickering in the lights from the torches. Although she had sat next to Thor at the banquet, she had blushed under the extensive amount of staring and hardly eaten at all. After the meal, she had slunk behind various columns, not wanting to draw attention to herself, the "mortal girl" anymore.

        As the sun sets, it finds Thea sitting on one of the small stone walls about twenty feet up, at the edge of the large wooden dancing room and looking down onto the main courtyard. The height does not bother her. Clint has taught her well, and she no more fears the distance to the ground than she fears the various flashing weapons below her. For this, Thea is more interested in the fighting in the courtyard than the dancing that has begun to take place behind her.

        Thea watches the proceedings below her silently and nearly invisibly- it would take a lot for someone to notice her in the shadows. Volstagg is particularly enthusiastic against his challengers, swinging his large girth about with the full energy of a fine Asgardian warrior. Thea also spots the Lady Sif a ways in the corner, fighting off two seasoned, armored officials, much to the delight of the roaring crowd. For a moment, Thea watches her, but then turns away. There are some younger Asgardians showing off as well, many of them not much older than Thea, and they are just as jubilant as Volstagg or Sif.

        A charming, high-pitched violin sounds behind her, straining up in down in a merry tone. Thea glances behind her and sees that a crowd has begun to form on the dance floor. Unusually, it does not appear to be pairs of lovers alone on the floor- she spots several pairs of fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, and even two dancers that look so alike, they must be siblings. As the relatively mellow dance continues, Thea sees Sif and Thor take to the floor, although Thor's face looks as drawn as ever. Upon listening to the hurried, loud conversations, Thea deduces that this is an energetic dance based upon the celebration of life and of family- Thea frowns, not quite getting the "energetic" part of it.

        She squeals loudly and jumps up when someone touches the top of her head.

        "You spook as easily as a colt," says Loki with a wry smile as she turns around. "Why have you been hiding back here this entire time?"

        Thea shrugs, looking up at him and drawing her legs up to her chest. "I don't know."

        He raises his eyebrows, "This was to be an experiment of fun, not of sitting in high places and ignoring everyone about you." The music begins to get louder, as do several cheers. Loki holds out a hand for her, "Come dance."

        She shakes her head vigorously. And then yelps when Loki pulls her to her feet rather suddenly, "Loki! No, Loki, no, no, no!"

        He chuckles as he begins to pull her to the growing crowd.

        "Seriously, please Loki, I don't know how to dance."

        "Rubbish, Thea, everyone knows how to dance. Besides, this one doesn't take much learning," He continues to practically drag her to the wood floor, but she is putting up a significant effort, dragging her feet so that her boots squeak on the gleaming floor, "Apologies, dearest, but I'm not asking."

        Thea covers her face with her hands and mumbles so that Loki can scarcely hear her, "I don't want to. Besides, it's a boring dance. They're hardly moving. They're just turning in circles."

        Loki shakes his head, peering down at her amusingly, "Did I not just say that I am not asking? I told you that you are going to dance, and dance you shall. And if I am not mistaken, you are underestimating this particular one."

        "I doubt it," says Thea, "And I'm a bad dancer."

        "I know you are. Last time I saw you dancing, you looked like a chicken. Now give me your hands, you stubborn child."

        Thea groans, but based on his devilish look, Loki isn't going to be giving in any time soon. Dejectedly, she allows him to take her small palms and pull her into the crowd. For a couple minutes, Loki does precisely what the other men are doing to their daughters or wives or sisters or kin: he leads Thea in small circles, in time to the fluent sound of the violin, which is merry as it fiddles through the air. Thea looks rather desolate, and somewhat frightened by all the people, but she puts on a pretty good facial expression of ennui.

        The violin picks a slightly different, more flute-like warble, the sound more of a waltz. Thea begins to turn in place, trying to mimic those around her. She can't help but see Loki's smirk and frowns, not seeing what the big deal about this is.

        Her eyes widen in surprise as people around them begin to clap, and with a boom of percussion, she feels Loki's hands on her waist, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle. When he sets her back down, he does so only briefly before lifting her up again- she can't help but laugh, although the high-pitched sound is lost amongst the loud clapping, violins, and drums that are now echoing through the hall. Skirts swirl as the girls and women are continuously lifted and spun, and as the tempo picks up, this pattern continues.

        As he puts her back on the ground, another high, flute-like melody plays through, and Loki begins to twirl her, faster and faster. Thea feels invigorated by the energy about her, and she begins to feel dizzy and excited as the music, like her feet goes faster, faster, faster.

        Just as she is about to topple over from dizziness, the music comes to a sudden halt, and applause echoes through the hall. Loki stops her and when she hesitantly regains her balance, he picks her up again, holding her up high. She is laughing, grinning from ear to ear. Loki is laughing too, looking up into her delightful face and feeling a warmth in his chest, because he cannot remember the last time that Thea had truly laughed from pure joy.

*

    That night, several hours past midnight, Loki is woken by an elderly servant, who looks rather shaken. "I am sorry for waking you, your grace," she says in a hushed tone as Loki rubs his eyes, exhausted, "But it's the little girl-"

    Loki is fully awake now, "What is it? What's wrong with her?"

    "She's screaming...more than normal, and I am frightened to try and wake her." The servant rings her hands together, "I just wasn't sure what I should do."

    Loki, who is bare-chested, pulls on a loose white shirt and follows the woman down the gilded, silent halls of the palace. He is frowning; Thea had just been having fun at the festival, and now she is like this again- it's as if her body is resisting happiness.  

    He can hear her before he sees her. Her screams and cries are ricocheting up and down the private hall, and they have drawn the attention of several servants. Ignoring them, Loki opens the bedroom door loudly, and blinks as his eyes adjust to the darkness.    

    Thea is indeed lying on the bed, but with her arms and legs flat out next to her. She is flailing, but it seems as though she cannot move her limbs, and she is tossing her head from side to side. Loki immediately realizes that she is dreaming of being tied down to a table. Shutting the door behind him, he walks up to the bed quickly, ignoring Klaka's whines as the puppy runs frantically around the room.

    Leaning down, Loki touches her arm, "Thea...Thea, wake up. It's only a dr-"

    At his touch, her eyes snap open and upon seeing him looming over her, she yelps, jumping backwards against the backboard before scrambling off of the bed and bracing herself against the wall. Her hair is hanging in tangled curtains across her face, and she is panting as she looks up at him, terrified.

    "Thea," says Loki in a low voice, "Thea..."

    When he reaches out for her, she gasps and staggers back as much as she can against the wall. He lifts his hands up defensively, keeping his eyes locked on hers, "All right, all right. Thea-"

    "D-don't...kill me," she whimpers, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to hold back an attack, "Pl-please don't k-ki-"

    "No Thea, I'm not going to kill you," he says quietly, "Thea, it's me- look at me, it's me."

    Thea trembles, and for a brief moment, Loki is sure that she is going to fly at him and attack him. But then, she sinks down, her hands in her face and her shoulders shaking. Her body is visibly quaking. "L-loki?" she whispers.

    "Come here," says Loki softly, crouching down and holding out a hand to her, "Come here. You're safe- nobody is going to hurt you."

    She hesitates, and then allows him to pull her up. He walks back to the bed and lays her back down, still panting, on the mattress, and then lies down next to her. Thea begins to pull away, but then, apparently changing her mind, she rests her head next to his shoulder.

    "...he was going to kill me...it hurt...the...the knife..."

    Her voice is sudden and unexpected, and Loki glances at her, and then sighs as her words to sink in. So his deduction had been correct- she had been dreaming of the horrors of the tortuous Videl.

    "He...he was going to take out my h-heart..." Thea is wailing, still flailing in fear, "...he had it...the kni-knife it was-"

    "Sh, sh, sh," Loki wraps his arm around her, "Th-"

    "There was blood," she sobs, "And it h-hurt...I saw m-my blood... the kniff-fe, L-loki, it h-h-hurt."

    Klaka whines.

    "Thea," says Loki," Hush, you're all right. Nobody is going to hurt you. Don't think about that anymore. Think about something that makes you happy. Think about Jack and how that little imp dyed my hair pink," he glances down at her and is relieved to see that her face has visibly relaxed, "I suppose that was a treat for you, to see me like that, was it not?" Thea's breathing is becoming slower, and she isn't shaking quite as hard, "And you wonder why I am always on guard around the two of you- I could have my skin turned green for all I know."

    "Can...can I do that?" asks Thea in a tiny voice.

    Loki raises an eyebrow as he looks her in the eyes, "Don't even think about it."

    "You gave me the idea," she says, "Please?"

    "Unless you want me to turn into the Hulk," says Loki sternly, "I recommend you put that idea out of your little head this instant."

    "I'll tell Jack," she says dreamily, "And he can do it."

    He chuckles, "And then toss the blame off to your dearly beloved? Would you honestly do that, Thea?"

    "Yes," she yawns. Although her eyes have somewhat cleared, her hands and legs are still trembling, "I w-would." She pauses, then gasps in a frantic voice, "L-Loki it h-hurt, it h-hurt! I s-saw my bleeding h-heart in his h-hands and it was dripping and it was red and I was screaming and-"

    "Thea," says Loki firmly, "Hush. You're all right, darling, it was just a dream. It wasn't real. Nobody is going to hurt you, not when I am here." As she begins to calm, he says, "Good. Good, calm down. It was just a dream." He reaches forward and touches her eyelids, "Close your eyes."

    Thea rests her head on his chest and then, her eyes snapping open again, she whispers tremulously, "Can Klaka come up here?"

    Klaka is still whining, and Thea and Loki can hear him scratching at the wooden bed.

    "You know that dogs aren't supposed to be up here," says Loki.

    "P-Please?"

    Loki sighs, "Oh, all right." He sits up, then leans down to pick up the whining Klaka. Klaka climbs over Loki, who rolls his eyes, and then settles contentedly next to Thea, licking her face enthusiastically and wagging his tail. Thea's eyes tremble as she strokes Klaka's soft fur.

        "W-will you sing again?" she whispers.

    "Hmm, how about you sing this time?" says Loki, "I'm afraid I don't know many more lullabies."

    "Me n-neither."

    "Come now, surely you know some song," says Loki with a smile, covering her with a thick blanket and then finally lying his head down on the pillow. Looking at her tired face, he says, "Sing it to me, little one."

    She's quiet for a moment. Then, she begins to sing in a very soft voice, "This l-little light of mine... I'm g-gonna let it shine. Th-this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it sh-shine. This little light of mine... I'm g-gonna let it shine, let it shine let it shine."

    "Mhm, keep going," says Loki, "Keep going."

    Her voice becomes more distant and broken up, and she whispers, "Hide...it under a...bushel, no, I'm gonna...let...it shine. H-hide it...under...a...bushel...n-no...I'm gonna...I'm gonna..." Thea's eyes flutter shut, "...Let...let...it...shine..."

    Loki smiles a satisfied smile as Thea's breathing begins to slow, and her countenance begins to soften. Finally, she is asleep, and from the looks of it, she is sleeping peacefully. He kisses her forehead and then closes his eyes. Soon enough, he's asleep too.

*

        The next morning, as the sun is filtering through the curtains, Loki sits up. He glances at Thea, and is relieved to see that she is curled up under the blankets, her chest rising and falling peacefully. Klaka is resting next to her, twitching in his sleep as he lies in her arms. Loki stands up and is about to walk out of the room when he feels a hand pulling at his shirt.

        He looks back to see Thea blinking sleepily at him, "Wh-where are you going?" she yawns.

        Loki chuckles, "I have work I need to do. And don't give me Jack's puppy dog face- you know it won't work on me." When Thea begins to pout, he rolls his eyes, "Honestly, Thea you're fine. Go back to sleep, it's still early." He walks over and tucks the blankets back over her.

        "It's not like you're the king," she yawns again, sinking back onto the pillow, "Why do you have to get up so early?"

        He raises an eyebrow, "You'd be surprised, kitten." He leans down and smiles at her. "Go to sleep."

        And Thea does.

Whoa, really long chapter.

Please VOTE and comment!

Idk but the part at the beginning with Loki and Thea in the room with Sif and all of them was just really cute sorrrry.

Love you all!

<3