"Mama, what's going on?" Eowyn protested sleepily as her mother roused the two of them from bed. "It's nighttime."

"I'm tired," whined Cypress, trying to hide under the covers. "I wanna sleep!"

Maeve's hands were shaking, but she kept his voice even. "I know, my darlings. I know you're tired, and I'm sorry to drag you out of bed, but you need to get up. "This is about Papa."

Both of the twins shot out of bed and over to their mother, the exhaustion suddenly vanishing from their eyes. They began to pepper her with questions, questions she could not begin to answer if she tried.

"I don't know. I don't know much at all, but your Uncle Thor found him. He and I are going to bring him back to Asgard."

"He's not in Asgard?" Eowyn asked, her emerald eyes wide and glassy. Loki's eyes. It had been eight months since the night he'd disappeared, and it was hurting them all. Maeve ruffled her black curls.

"No, honey. Your father... he must be confused, or lost." Or hurt, she added silently. "Nothing else would keep him from us. He loves us so much."

Cypress looked up at his mother solemnly. "So we're leaving to find Papa and bring him home?"

Maeve began to bundle them up in long coats and boots, although with their genetics, they weren't apt to be cold. She just needed something to do, some way to take care of them. They had been her anchor in the lonely months.

"No. Thor and I are going to find him alone. A journey like this is too dangerous for little princes and princesses. But I'll bring him home to us and we'll be together again."

Maeve ushered them out of the room and down the hall, fighting her tears. 

"Mama," Eowyn ventured, "where are we going?"

*

"I was under the impression that the younger brothers were supposed to be the trouble makers."

Despite her deep anxiety, Maeve's face broke into a smile at the sight of Bjarke, her brother-in-law, leaning against the walls of his castle. He was quick to wrap her in a tight hug, one that she desperately needed.

Bjarke was a king now, the ruler of his realm. He had yet to marry, but he made frequent visits disguised as an Asgardian. Maeve felt safer around him than she did with nearly anyone else.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you refrained from adding to the chaos for a while. We've enough of that as it is." She pulled away. "Thank you so much for this. I would have left the twins with Asmund, but with them being half-Frost Giant-"

"Calm down. You didn't even need to ask. You're family. The only family I've got left. Besides, it gets a little lonely here at times. Lonely is the one who wears the crown, right?" His face broke into a grin as the twins barreled over to him and launched themselves into his arms. "See? We'll be fine."

"Of course. Of course you'll be fine." She plastered a quick smile on her face. "I shouldn't be worried."

"You're right, you shouldn't. Save your worry for Loki. I have a feeling he'll need it more than we will."

Maeve nodded. "Thank you again."

Bjarke gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Go save him," he whispered.

*

"Is that what you're going to wear?"

Maeve glanced down at her dark blue day dress with a frown. The halter neckline and soft fabric made it comfortable to move around in. When Thor had offered her a place in his search for Loki, she hadn't really considered her wardrobe.

"I suppose. Is there something wrong with it?" She craned her neck in different directions, trying to spot any stains or tears.

Thor shook his head. He'd been pacing the halls of the palace for quite some time now, passing his hammer from hand to hand. "It's not that. I just thought that you might want to wear... armor."

"Oh," Maeve said, blinking. "I don't own any armor."

She wasn't a warrior or soldier by any stretch. She'd never wanted to be one. Her powers were meant to create life, not take it. Despite all of her and Loki's adventures over the years, she'd never become comfortable with combat.

"It's all right," she said, more to herself than Thor. "This should be simple. I won't need any armor."

"Maeve-"

"It's Loki, Thor," the princess reminded him gently. "He's my husband. He would never hurt me."

Thor nodded, but he looked uneasy. Maeve knew in her heart that Loki would never be a danger to her. Still, she wondered if she should be concerned about anyone else.

Earlier, her brother-in-law had filled her in on everything he knew about Loki's whereabouts, which was admittedly not much. He was on Midgard, and he was supposedly using the Tessaract to attempt an overthrow of the earth. 

Supposedly, he'd... he'd killed people.

It didn't sound like her Loki. Not at all. He was ambitious, but not ruthless. Powerful, but not domineering. Strong, but not dangerous.

Something was wrong, and she intended to find out what.

Maeve took a small knife that Sif had gifted to her years ago and slipped it into the sheath around her waist. This was the only weapon she carried, although her belt contained a few pouches with various plants. Just in case.

"Are you ready, little sister?" Thor asked, his deep voice shaking ever so slightly.

Maeve swallowed, then nodded. "To Midgard." To Loki.

*

Maeve shivered, wishing she'd thought to bring a cloak. She hadn't known that Midgard would be cooler than Asgard. Thor had left her on the mountainside, promising to return in a few minutes. There was some sort of flightcraft in the midnight sky above. They'd taken Loki and Thor had gone to rescue him. She'd wanted to go with him, but as he so astutely pointed out, she couldn't fly.

She wasn't kidding herself. While Thor had gone to rescue him, she knew that Loki was far from innocent. 

The forest didn't look any different from the forests back home, but Maeve couldn't help feeling vulnerable in this new realm. She'd never journeyed to Midgard before, let alone met a mortal. Everything was unfamiliar, strange, odd. 

A sudden crash startled Maeve out of her worries, and she hurried to the sight of the incident. She hesitated behind a tree. Dirt and debris were thick in the chilled air.

"Where is the Tessaract?" It was Thor.

A tired, crazed chuckle nearly stopped her heart. "Oh, I've missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor roared. 

Loki stood up slowly, that tantalizing smirk still on his face. Maeve frowned. His movements were stiff and labored - was he injured? "Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth."

There was a pause. Finally, Thor said in a gruff voice, "I thought you dead." 

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked. Maeve couldn't see him too well in the dark, but something shifted in his eyes. Did you miss me?

"We all did," Thor replied after a moment. "You had no right to leave. Our father-"

"Your father," Loki corrected quietly. That correction caused Thor to release Loki and take a step back. "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?"

Thor glared at his younger brother with such a pained expression that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. "We were raised together. We played together. We fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow," he hissed. "Living in the shadow of your greatness."

Maeve listened to the brothers go back and forth with a stinging heart. He doesn't sound like him. The Loki she knew may have been bitter, but he never would have said things to hurt Thor so deeply. She waited for him to mention her name, or the twins, but they never came up in conversation, like they never even existed. 

That made everything worse. 

Closing her eyes, Maeve brushed her finger across her soul mark and held her breath. 

"-I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have-" It was then that Loki faltered. She could hear him draw a sharp intake of breath. "Maeve."

"What?"

"Maeve's here, isn't she?"

"She is."

"Where is she?" A touch of panic entered his dry voice. "Why would you bring her to Midgard, you miserable oaf?"

Thor sounded confused. "She's your wife, and you've been missing for eight months. She has every right to be here-"

"She can't be here! If-"

"If what?" Thor asked quickly, striding towards his brother again. "If who finds out? Who controls the would-be king?"

"I am a king!" Loki roared. The anger had returned.

"Not here!" Thor yelled back, matching his brother for volume. "You give up the Tessaract, give up this poisonous dream, and come home."

There was silence again until Loki laughed.

"I don't have it. You need the cube to take me home, but I've sent it off. I know not where."

Thor growled, "you listen well, brother-" 

He never finished the sentence. Something made of metal shot through the sky and pushed him off of the cliff, landing in the valley below. 

Before Maeve could think, she cried out, "THOR!"

"Maeve?"

Considering that she had already been caught, Maeve stepped into the clearing. She immediately ran up to Loki, who caught her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He stumbled backward at her embrace.

"Loki," she breathed, cupping his face in her hands. She tried to give him a kiss, but he dodged it. There were a few scrapes and purplish smudges under his eyes. His skin was paler than usual. "Where were you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Is-?"

"Hush, flower. I'm fine." Loki glanced around, refusing to meet her gaze. Even the way he held her felt different, like he was afraid to draw her too close, like something terrible would happen if he did. "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous for you."

"What do you mean? I'm here to take you home." She brushed a raven lock of hair out of his face. "It's been over eight months. We need you."

"Maeve, I-" He winced suddenly, then shook his head. "You should return to Asgard."

She frowned. "Not without you."

"I don't want you here. Not now. It's not safe." In the dim light, his beautiful green eyes looked almost blue. "Once I've won us a kingdom, I'll send for you and the children."

"A kingdom?" Maeve stepped away like she'd been burned. Her heart was pounding. "That's what this is about?"

"I deserve to be a king, and I want you at my side, ruling the Midgardians with me."

She shook her head quickly. "I never wanted kingdoms or crowns, Lo. You know that. I only want you. I love you."

Loki laughed a little. The sound sent chills down Maeve's spine. 

"Darling, with my new power, we can rule the galaxy if we felt so inclined."

Is he even listening to me? 

Maeve opened her mouth to argue, but a roaring whir startled them both. That metallic thing shot into the air and landed mere feet away from the pair. Loki instinctively grabbed Maeve and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from their attacker. She knew something so insignificant shouldn't have made her happy, but it was the first time that he'd reminded her of her husband. 

The metal thing turned out to be a man. His entire body was covered in red and golden metal, but part of it retracted around his head to reveal a man with a goatee. He raised his eyebrows. 

"Who's this? Mrs. Rudolph?"

Maeve didn't understand his reference, but Loki strode up to the man and snarled, "if you even think about laying a hand on her-"

"Relax, relax. I'm a perfect gentleman," he said with a smirk to equal Loki's own. "Hey, if he's holding you against your will, blink twice and I'll shoot him."

"Excuse me?" Maeve asked indignantly. Perhaps she should have been afraid, but she wasn't. "I am Maeve Freydottir, and he is my husband."

"No kidding? That's a shame. You've got lousy taste."

Another man emerged from the forest, this one tall and blond, Thor right behind him. He wore an odd outfit of red, white, and blue.

"Tony, who's this?" He had a kind face and a disapproving voice. 

The metal man - Tony - laughed. "His wife. Reindeer Games has better taste than I thought."

Loki started for him at that comment, but Maeve grabbed his arm and attempted to restrain him. Her strength was no match for him. Luckily, Thor stepped in and took over for her. 

"She is my sister-in-law," he replied. "Maeve."

The second man nodded and extended a hand. "Captain Steve Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Are we all going to ignore the fact that it's dark and raining?" Tony asked. Maeve frowned, finding his attitude a little irritating. He turned to her. "Are you with us or with him?"

Maeve froze. Who was she with? Loki, of course. But he wanted to rule Midgard, and she couldn't condone that, not even for him. Thankfully, Thor saved her again. 

"She is with me," he said simply. "And we are here to take Loki."

Tony smirked. "There's a pretty long line for that."

Happy Easter! 

I've seen a lot of comments on the last chapter lately, so here's a new one! What did you think?