You spent the afternoon in the library researching. Frigga came to join you for as long as she could be spared from her actual duties. She tested the sphere with magic too. "You stole this from Balder?" she asked after she had tested it and identified what it was. You nodded your agreement. "Very clever, dear," she commented and got to work.

You and Loki both clutched your heads at the same time when you heard Thor's call for you to open the portal. He was so loud and booming, just like his thunder. He never learned how to properly use his powers. Frigga laughed at your expressions. /Give us a minute Thor. We need to get outside so the horses don't appear in the palace/ you replied when you got your brain working again.

"Darling, you can stay here-" Loki started. You just gave him a look. "Fine, we will go down together. Mother, Sister, will you be coming also?" He asked, sounding grumpy. Sif had joined you to help research at one point, though you didn't quite remember how long ago that was. You weren't making any progress, so the break was appreciated.

"Of course!" Sif replied, jumping to her feet. She was worried about Thor and wanted to see him home safe.

"We'll set the portal at the entrance by the practice court," Loki told you. You nodded and stood. You offered a hand to Sif, who looked confused before she remembered that you had Loki's teleportation powers. Loki was offering his mother his hand, though you thought she could teleport herself. Sif still visibly hesitated before taking your hand. The second she did, you teleported both of you down to the spot Loki had indicated.

You dropped her hand the moment you arrived safely. You knew she was uncomfortable, and figured it was with you. "I'll never get used to that," Sif commented when you had arrived safely. You laughed, then realizing her discomfort was with teleporting and not with you doing it, or with the fact that you had only acquired the power in the last year. Teleporting did take some getting used to, especially when you had to rely on someone else to do it. Loki and Frigga arrived just behind you.

Loki summoned the spellbook again and held it out to you so you could see it too. "We will have to make it larger this time to accommodate the horses," you nodded your understanding. "Ready?" he asked. You nodded again and for the second time that day you recited the spell to open the portal. You had to make this one a lot larger and it took a lot more power to open and keep open. There were a lot of people who came through it. It wasn't just Odin, Thor, and their horses, but also the troops who had gone with Odin.

Thor let the servants take his horse, and kissed Sif the second he saw her. You smiled at how cute they were. Once everyone was through the portal, you and Loki let it snap shut. You wrapped an arm around his waist while he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. You both held the other up while pretending you were standing on your own just fine. That had taken way more magic than either of you had anticipated.

Odin stormed over to where we were standing. "About time," he snapped at Loki. "You kept us waiting." Loki shrank under the words. You stood taller, stepping between the two to glare at Odin. Loki may have had to put up with his father's abuse, but you didn't have to. It also didn't matter that Odin was a good foot taller than you were. You were used to glaring up at people who were being stupid.

"I apologize, Father," Loki replied, pulling you back against him before you could land yourself in trouble.

Odin glared down at you, unappeased. "I want a demonstration of the curse Balder placed on her," Odin told you both firmly.

"Father, that is not a good-" Loki started, but Odin just glared at him.

"Now," he spat at you.

With a practiced flick of your hand, you threw up shields around Loki, Frigga, Sif and Thor. You didn't want them affected by this. You cleared your throat. "This really isn't a good idea," you said. After 'really' everyone in the vicinity besides Odin was unconscious. He was fighting it hard, and had gone to his knees by the end of your sentence. You looked around at the chaos of unconscious people around you. At least your shielded family was safe.

Odin stood again, glaring. "Clean up this mess," he snapped at you and stormed off.

You were too emotionally compromised. You had used too much magic too quickly, and you had hurt all of these people on Odin's orders. You turned to Loki and wept in to his chest, your shields fading from the others as you did.

"Darling, he is an ass. Ignore him," Loki told you softly, holding you while you wept. He saw Frigga watching you. "Sorry, Mother,"

"I seemed to have gone temporarily deaf and have no idea what you said, dear," she replied with a smile. You couldn't help laughing at that. You stepped out of Loki's arms so you could get to healing the unconscious people. It was your fault they were unconscious after all. Loki tried to help you, but you shooed him off.

"Darling, this is Father's fault, not yours." You ignored him, moving from your first victim to the next. This was your fault. All of the victims were bleeding from their ears. It wasn't a big healing, but the apologies were difficult. Frigga and Loki both came to help you, despite your insistence that you should do this yourself. Between the three of you, it didn't take long to get everyone healed and apologized to. They seemed to take it ok, but you still felt horrible.

When the last person was healed, Loki came over to you and pulled you gently to your feet. He wrapped his arms around you and let you return to sobbing. "Shh, love. It is not your fault. None of this is,"

"He is right, dear. Odin is just upset with Balder's actions. I am sorry he took out his emotions on you," Frigga added. You stiffened when you remembered that the rest of them were all here still. "You two have both used quite a bit of power this afternoon. Why don't you get some rest until dinner,"

"That is an excellent idea, Mother," Loki replied. He kept an arm wrapped around you and walked you back to your suite. "Darling, please do not cry over Father. He is not worth it," Loki bid you when we were safely back in your suite. "His actions were uncalled for. They usually are," you nodded, but still held on to Loki for comfort. After a brief green flash of his magic, you were both in pajamas. You laughed when you realized you was dressed in one of his t-shirts and pajama pants from Earth, both were too big, and you were sure adorable. He must have been feeling unsettled to surround you in his scent and aura. "I have a surprise for you after dinner," he told you with a grin. He was trying to lighten the mood. You smiled up at him and raised your eyebrows, asking what the surprise was. He laughed. "It is a surprise, darling," he replied. You rolled your eyes at him. He chuckled and let you drag him to your bed so you could get a nap before dinner. It had been a long day with lots of magic and emotions, you both needed the break.

"I was so worried about you," he whispered while his fingers ran through your hair. You listened to his heartbeat, your head on his cool chest.

/I was worried about you too/ you laughed.

He chuckled and kissed the top of your head. "I love you,"

/Even if you can never hear you say those words again?/ you asked, your telepathic voice soft and scared.

"Even if. But we will figure out how to undo what Balder did you," he replied.

/Tony is going to kill us/ you reminded him. He sighed.

"Yes. He is. I really am not looking forward to him punching me again..." Loki grumbled. "Especially since we do need to return soon. We have been gone far longer than intended already,"

/Yes, well I was kidnapped for...days?/

"It was a week, darling. And I had only been planning on being here for a week, two at most. Your uncle will be worried if we do not return soon," you nodded at that. Tony worried enough already anyway.

/If you look pathetic enough at him maybe he'll just be mad at you/ you told him with a giggle.

"You would leave me to face your uncle alone?" he asked with mock-hurt.

You laughed aloud at that. /No, I'll protect you/ you replied.

You dozed for a couple hours before you had to get ready for dinner. You could have slept longer, but Loki wanted to do your hair. You were just glad Balder hadn't cut off the lock of Loki's hair that was braided in, growing with your hair. You also had the feeling that Loki really enjoyed you doing his hair. Maybe it reminded him of Frigga doing the same when he was younger. So you did his before dinner as well.

"Thor, you and Sif are coming with us tonight, are you not?" Loki asked during dinner. Thor nodded.

"We are. It was very kind of you to invite us," he answered.

[Where are we going?] you signed grumpily. Loki still hadn't told you what he had planned.

"You will see later," Loki replied with a mischievous grin.

"Kat, are you feeling better?" Sif asked, changing the subject. You nodded and signed that you were fine. Loki translated and Sif and Thor both said that they would learn to sign as well. You didn't want to burn out all of your magic to talk.

You really had to come up with a solution soon.

Sif and Thor tried to include you in the conversation, but it was difficult when neither of them could sign and you kept having to use Loki as a translator, or you had to switch to telepathy. You finally switched over just so you didn't keep inconveniencing Loki by making him translate. He didn't seem to mind, but still...

You were grateful when dinner was over. Loki offered you his hand in formal escort. Thor and Sif followed you. You walked through the halls of the palace until you came to the theater where you had watched the troupe's last performance. /I promise, it is a different show/ Loki explained when you entered. You were given the same seats of honor and you sat between Loki and Thor again.

[Now will you tell you what we're seeing?] you asked Loki

"No. It is a surprise, darling," Loki replied, overly patient. You huffed at him and even Thor and Sif started laughing at you. "I have been working very hard on this surprise. I would like for it to remain a surprise,"

You didn't have to wait much longer. The bell chimed for the show to begin. You watched excitedly, wanting to see what Loki had come up with. You were laughing about five seconds into the show. It only took you that long to figure out what the show was. You laughed even harder about five minutes in when the first song began. Not only did the actor on stage sing it, but the entire crowd around you, including Loki, Thor, and Sif all sang along.

Somehow, Loki had gotten the theater troupe to perform Superhero Musical. It was modified slightly, but only very slightly. Every word of the songs was the same. He had also somehow gotten everyone to learn the words to the songs.

It was amazing and felt like home, being surrounded by your family singing along to this stupid show. Though out of habit you opened your mouth to sing your part during the duet, seconds before it started. You stopped just in time. "Sing, darling. It is safe," Loki whispered in your ear. You didn't know how it was safe, but you trusted him. He wouldn't put everyone in danger. So you sang your part along with all of the other girls in the theater. You saw the glow of green magic fade after the song and knew whatever magic he had done had faded. He couldn't hold it forever. You were grateful that he had managed so you could sing along to your favorite song in the show.

You left the theater after the performance all giddy and laughing, after you had thanked and praised the troupe for the wonderful performance.

/How did you do that?/ you asked Loki, projecting so Thor and Sif could hear you too.

"I have been working with the troupe for the better part of the year so I could surprise you the next time you came to visit. Some of the court and people here got wind of what I was up to and demanded to sit in on the practices so they could learn the songs. They had heard of the tradition of everyone singing along,"

/It was perfect/ you told them all, nearly skipping with giddiness.

"I keep telling you that the people adore you, little sister," Thor added. He sighed when he saw how bouncy and excited you were. "You are not going to sleep tonight, are you?" he asked, laughing. You giggled. "Try to choose somewhere logical for me to come find you, please?" his voice was so forlorn that you couldn't help laughing harder at him.

"Oh, let her be happy, Thor," Sif scolded gently. "You're up at 3am waiting for Frigga to contact you every morning anyway,"

You laughed and grabbed Loki's hand, twirling you both a few steps down the hall. He held your hand, wrapped his other around your waist and danced you down the hall in graceful twirling steps.

You heard Thor sigh behind you. "Who let those two be together?" he asked with mock exasperation.

"Shush, darling. I have never seen your brother so happy," Sif replied. Thor could only agree with her.

You twirled a few more steps, when Loki stopped, spun you one more time, then bowed over your hand to kiss your knuckles. You somehow managed to make it back to our suite walking like normal grownups. Though you had the feeling Thor was going to carry you there if you had played around too much more.