I stepped into the small, dark space that contained my few remaining belongings and flicked on the light to illuminate the pathetic glorified closet that I called a bedroom. Thor's room on the ship was a bit nicer, but it had originally been mine. He'd kicked me out of my own quarters after deeming it "the only quarters on the ship worthy enough to accommodate a king."

I'd "repainted" it the next day when he was in the mess hall and left the fifteen cans of hot pink paint that the Sakaarans has left behind- though I wasn't quite sure what purposes they originally were meant to serve- on his bedroom floor.

He hadn't been very happy about that.

I crossed the room to the table near my bed, where a small key was the only thing occupying its surface.

Picking up the key and examining its authenticity, I curled my lips upward into a satisfied smirk and left the room.

The cold metal of the key was pressed against my fingertips as I walked the halls of the ship. I got to my destination in barely any time at all and peered down the stairs suspiciously, making sure that no one was hiding in the shadows, before quietly making my way down to the hull of the ship where the bulk of our stock was located.

At the end of the narrow passage filled with crates of supplies and unnecessary items was a smaller crate with a lock on it. I twisted the key into the lock and opened it up. Stacked neatly inside of it was the notebook and picture frame that I'd transported to the ship when I was back on Asgard. I pocketed the small items and turned around, intending to leave, before hearing a clattering noise coming from the front of the cargo hold.

"Who's there?" I called out, unsheathing my twin daggers and slowly approaching the spot where I'd heard the noise.

I turned the corner and stepped back in surprise when I saw a pair of legs sticking out of a crate full of packing peanuts and liquor bottles.

"Hey, Lackey." A muffled voice called from the inside of the crate.

I sighed and lowered my daggers, letting them vanish in my hands. She pulled herself up to the top of the crate and watched me drop my defensive stance.

"No one ever bothers to restock the bars, so the last of the liquor is down here."

I nodded.

"Ah, that explains why you dove face-first into a box."

"Shut up."

She pulled out two of the bottles and handed one to me.

"Up for a bit of late night sparring?" She asked, chugging the bottle with little effort.

"I suppose. You'll have to come out of the crate for that, though."

Brunn grinned and climbed out of the crate, landing unceremoniously on the other side.

She got to her feet and started jogging up the stairs.

"Come on, Lackey. You're falling behind already!"

✧✦✧

The Statesman's only gym wasn't exactly a gym, per se. It was originally used as a sex dungeon, but Brunnhilde and I had done some work and added a few training mats to go with the hastily thrown aside gym equipment near the wall.

We sparred for most of the night, and by the time we'd finished, we were both exhausted and sporting various injuries.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night, Brunn."

She wiped her hand across her mouth and didn't even blink when it came back covered in blood.

"Suit yourself. I'm gonna go grab a few drinks. If you change your mind, you'll know where to find me."

I picked up my cape from where I'd tossed it against the wall and carefully removed the items inside of them, stuffing them back in my pocket and readjusting my cape.

The truth was, I would've loved to continue getting my ass kicked by a beautiful woman, but I needed some time alone.

I made the quick trip back to my room, sat down on my bed, and pulled the picture frame out of my pocket so that I could set it on my nightstand. It would be a constant reminder that I'd gotten my family back, though they weren't all in the same place. But home is never in just one location. It's wherever you find peace, love, and acceptance with the people that you care about.

Thinking about my family made me ache to see Mother one last time, so I closed my eyes.

If I could bridge the gap to Midgard from Valhalla, then there was no reason why I couldn't do the same to Valhalla from the Statesman. I concentrated all of my power into completing the task, but it was as if I was blocked off somehow.

All I really wanted was to see her one last time, but it seemed that the universe wouldn't allow such an innocent request to be fulfilled.

In the end, for all of my struggles, it was Mother who bridged the gap. I saw a ripple in the mirror by my bed and outstretched my hand toward it before getting sucked in.

I emerged on the other side of the mirror in a garden. Mother was on her hands and knees in the soil with a box of flowers next to her.

"Hello, Mother."

She looked up from her work and smiled.

"Loki! Come and help me plant these flowers."

I did as she asked and bent down next to her. She handed me a shovel and pointed to the spot where I should dig.

"Are we on Valhalla?" I asked as I dug a small hole for the flower in my hand.

She nodded.

"This is indeed Valhalla. I've been gardening a bit to brighten up the outside of the palace. Here, dear. Let me show you how to tease the roots."

I held the flower out to her and watched her slowly pull the bottom roots apart with steady, sure fingers.

"When the roots are packed together too tightly, you have to separate them to give them more room to grow."

She replaced my purple one with a flower that was still just a small yellow bud.

"How do you fare, Mother? Is Hela still a threat?"

Mother shook her head helped me tease the roots of this new flower.

"A resistance gathered and drove Hela out of the realm. Now, she may come back eventually, but for the time being, we are safe."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it. And Father?"

I placed the flower into the small hole that I'd made and started filling it back up with soil.

"Oh, he's quite happy. Happier than I've ever seen him. You must've done something right during your Second Chance because he's been in a wonderful mood as of late. But enough about us. I want to know about you. Did you succeed?"

"I did. With the help of Thor, in fact."

She handed me a pitcher full of water. I slowly poured some of it onto the bud and watched it bloom to life.

"That's quite the relief because otherwise, I would've given you the wrong flower to plant." She shot me a teasing smirk and carefully brushed her fingers against the delicate petals. "This is a daffodil. It symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. You can start over with Thor on Midgard. Yes, there will be obstacles that you will face, but you will no longer face them alone."

I watched the small, vibrant flower sway gently in the breeze as Mother spoke.

"Loki,"

I glanced back up at her.

"Yes?"

"You have to leave now, but I want you to answer this for me." She placed her hands on mine. "Can you promise me that you will be careful with your life? It is the only one you have left. There are no third chances on Valhalla."

I thought back to everything that I'd been through recently.

I got to see my Mother again. I fought the goddess of death and won. Thor and I were reunited and got to experience part of our past in a whole new light.

I destroyed two infinity stones at the same time.

And of course, I'd successfully completed my Second Chance.

It had been an incredible experience, though tragic at times, and I'd gotten to accomplish so much in my life.

But, I was in no hurry to repeat any of it. Brunnhilde and I had discussed something very important in our lives about a week before Thanos had attacked.

The topic of our futures had always been something that we avoided but that night we decided that someday we wanted to settle down and raise a child. The thought of getting to finally be a parent with the woman I love was worth living for. Even if it meant that Thor and I wouldn't be going on any more risky missions.

For the first time, I had a life ahead of me that I looked forward to. A future that I could control.

I met Mother's eyes and pulled her into a hug.

"I promise."

✧✦✧

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