A/N: HI GUYS! So sorry, I haven't had the heart to work on this fic much—it's been a weird year with lots of personal junk. I'm not trying to guilt anyone or artificially inflate my review count, but here's the thing: reviews matter. However long or short, nothing aids my enthusiasm for this fic like a note from someone enjoying it. It's helpful to get input and reactions, knowing what's working, what's not. Even a few words help—I just want to know that people still read and like it. (Though I gotta admit, I LOVE the multi-paragraph reviews some of you leave!) So please, if you have time, give a shout. Also, I saw Thor: The Dark World twice now, and…well, the first time I was really disappointed. I left the cinema telling my friends, "I like my fic better." My expectations were too complex and too high. I saw it again two weeks later, and I was able to enjoy it for what it is, so I've reconciled to it. I don't think it gave me any fresh ideas, but maybe on a third viewing?

Also, I forgot to point this out in an earlier chapter, but months ago I wrote and posted a one-shot, titled, "A Mother's Relic," about Loki's origins. Take a look at it, if you are inclined.

This chapter is a little fanservice-y, but I couldn't resist. It's also sans-Loki, and sorry about that, but it couldn't be helped. This does, however, include one of my favorite-to-write Thor scenes of the fic so far!

It took some convincing before Thor agreed not to wear his battle armor to Midgard. Even in less formal Asgardian attire, however, he was a conspicuous and formidable sight, especially with Mjolnir still at his belt. Clara preferred it that way—especially when they would meet with her father. D.C. had to wait, though. Clara would start with the easiest task on her earthly to-do list.

Safia's reaction to the engagement was as Clara had expected: five seconds of stunned silence followed by ear-shattering shrieks, hopping up and down and waving her arms, and then a hug so tight it might have crushed even an Asgardian's rib.

"When?" she asked, her voice still at a canine pitch as she held a suffocating Clara. "And where?"

"Soon," Clara said. "I think. There are some things to figure out." She stepped back from the embrace. "The wedding is in Asgard, so that's something I wanted to talk to you about. My part of the guest list has to be relatively small, but…will you come?"

"To your wedding? In Asgard?" Safia gushed. "You think I'm gonna say no?"

"Well…no," Clara said, smiling. "But it's not polite to assume."

"Assume away!" Safia said. "But how do I get there? And what do I wear?"

"I'll take you there myself, when it's time. Wear what makes you feel the most fabulous. You're going to need it—the Asgardians make all of us look frumpy."

Clara was not ready to publicize her engagement on her blog, but she knew she owed it an update. Thor entranced Safia with stories about his home and his family, while Clara typed up a blog post and uploaded new photos. Listening to Thor's voice from the other room, Clara smiled, a cozy warmth in her heart. Something in this situation felt homey and comforting—sensations that had been far from her in these last months.

What would it be like, she wondered, if she and Thor could still be together, but set up housekeeping in a simple New York flat? If any of this crazy chaos with S.H.I.E.L.D., the U.S. government, or Svartalfheim could be brought to a satisfying conclusion, maybe they could get their own little apartment here and live a quieter, more anonymous sort of life—at least part time. It would certainly help her cope with the pressures and lack of privacy in Asgard.

Surely that would not be possible once Thor was king, though. He could not just take off as he pleased—not if he took his duty seriously. And neither could she, when it came down to it. So, Clara closed her eyes and savored the peaceful moment. When would she have another one like it?

Later that day, Clara sighed wearily as three pairs of eyes—two brown and one blue—stared at her with varying combinations of confusion and horror.

"Very funny, McKenna," Tony Stark said, the fastest to recover from the news. "Good joke."

"Are you…are you sure that's the best idea…?" Steve Rogers stammered.

The two of them looked at Bruce Banner.

"Erm…congratulations?" the physicist chimed in.

"Thanks, Bruce," Clara said. "Sorry, Tony, it's not a joke." She turned to Steve. "And I don't understand your problem. You were the one who said I should tell Thor about my feelings."

"Well, yes," Steve said. "But I…I had no idea it would be…so fast. And…strange."

"You can say that again," Clara said. "But I'm serious about it. Think of it like we're getting married in wartime—which it kind of is—because we don't know if we'll live to see tomorrow."

Tony scoffed. "What do you think is going to happen, McKenna?"

"Gee, Tony, I have no idea," Clara said. "You yourself said that we might be spied on from God-only-knows-what out in space. Loki could get his magic back and try some new means of gaining power. I might be taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D., the CIA, Homeland Security, or the FBI and thrown into jail at any moment. Not to mention, no one is sure what Queen Alflyse is up to."

"Who?" Bruce and Steve said at the same time.

"Jeeze guys, don't you read her blog?" Tony asked. "I went to all that trouble to protect it, the least you could do—"

"The point is," Clara said, "there is a lot of dangerous shit out there, and I don't think it's too much that we're trying to find a little bit of happiness in the midst of all this chaos."

"How sweet," Tony said dryly. "I'll have Pepper pick out your gift. Do they use toasters in Asgard?"

"If things are really getting that desperate, maybe you should set your own happiness aside," Steve said, "until some of this can get taken care of, for the good of…everyone."

The noble suggestion earned him a withering stare from Clara. But then she softened.

"I know it's crazy," she said to the three men. "I know it's fast, and maybe a little reckless. But I'm definitely not gonna find anyone better than Thor, so hey, I'll nab him while I've got the chance. As for the dangers out there—what better way to meet them than as companions, as partners? That's what marriage is supposed to be, right? And who is going to protect me from all that better than him? Besides you guys, I mean," she added with a smile.

Tony rolled his eyes. Steve never lost his worried expression. Bruce looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

"So that's it?" Tony asked. "You could have just called to give me the news, you know."

"There's more to it than that," Clara said.

With even more detail than she had given Thor and Odin, she told them about her meetings with Senator McKenna. She told him how he'd promised to get S.H.I.E.L.D. off her back if she worked directly with the U.S. government and the senator's supporters. She told them about Seth Rosen and his idea for a scientific "expedition" to Asgard, and how badly they had taken her refusal. Steve fidgeted nervously—no doubt with residual guilt—when she disclosed that she was being suspected as a traitor. Finally, she told them how she and Thor planned to use their wedding as a compromise, inviting those who would have been on the expedition so they could see Asgard in all its glory—on Asgard's terms.

"It would be a huge help if we could have the Avengers there, too," Clara added. "You guys already know about Asgard, and you're pretty high-profile." She looked pointedly at Steve. "I've kind of got Iron Man on my side, but I think if Captain America backed me up, too, that would be great for my citizenship status." She turned to Bruce. "And obviously, they'll need the world's greatest physicist on the team."

Unsurprisingly, he politely declined. "You…really don't want me there," he said.

"Why, think you'll smash the cake?" Clara asked, grinning.

"That would be the least of your problems."

She dropped the smile. "Okay, Dr. Banner. Um, would you mind at least keeping this all to yourself until it's said and done?"

"Sure," he said. Turning to Tony, he said, "Actually, if no one else needs me here, I'm gonna just…go back to R&D and see if that scan's finished." To Clara he said, "Congratulations again—I really do hope it works out for you."

"Knock yourself out," Tony said. As Bruce headed to the Stark Tower elevators, Tony called after him, "Don't knock out anything else!"

He turned back to Clara. "So…just tell me it's not black-tie."

"I didn't expect to see you again under these circumstances," Nick Fury said, folding his arms and frowning at the enormous blond man being escorted into his office. "Don't tell me you came all the way from Asgard just for a drink."

Thor carried himself with royal dignity, despite his state of disarray. There was a rip in his trousers and several in his tunic, and both were stained with dirt, spilled beverages, and a few drops of other men's blood. Thor himself had no physical damage but for a few streaks of dirt on his skin.

"I have come to speak with you on a matter of significance," he said. "With no knowledge of your location in this city, I drew you to mine."

"You've got our attention," Fury said. "Not a lot of bar fights this early in the day, in the middle of Manhattan." He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I shall, of course, compensate the landlord for the damage I caused to his…'bar.'"

"That's very helpful, but not my concern right now," Fury said. "You're here for a reason—what is it?"

"I have returned to Midgard in the company of the Lady Clara McKenna," he said.

Fury's frown deepened. "She was in Asgard? That explains her disappearance from D.C."

"You track her still?" Thor asked.

"She has a personal acquaintance with a known war criminal—and his brother—and she knows more about you and your world than any ordinary citizen should. It doesn't matter what kind of job you've got her doing, our job is to investigate and monitor potential threats to this planet. We can't afford to let her go under the radar."

"I would prefer that a princess of Asgard be accorded more courtesy than that."

"A what?" Fury asked, his voice going flat.

"This is the matter I bring before you. Lady Clara has consented to an alliance of marriage, to unite ourselves and our two realms."

Fury leaned against his desk, scowling at the demigod. "What are you doing, Thor? This isn't a goddamn fairy tale."

"The circumstances are unusual," Thor said, making effort to suppress his temper and continue to speak with civility. "I shall not weary you with the tale of our romance, but it appears I must remind you that this is a benefit to Midgard. It only strengthens the bond between Asgard and Earth. Lady Clara and I shall work together for peace and loyalty between our worlds."

"Sounds like a fairy tale to me," Fury said.

"There will be a great deal to learn—on both sides of the arrangement," Thor said. "I have come to inform you of this development as a courtesy, as a gesture of goodwill to those with authority in Midgard. Unfortunately, I find that I also must entreat you to show more respect to Asgard's future royalty—and not hunt the Lady Clara as though she were a quarry for your sport."

"When and where will this 'arrangement' take place?" Fury said. "Or are you planning to elope to Vegas?"

"The time remains to be set. There will be a ceremony and a celebratory feast in the palace of Asgard," Thor said. "Clara tells me that her father had hoped to arrange an expedition to Asgard, without the knowledge or consent of its king. We shall extend an invitation to Senator McKenna, and some of his more deserving associates. Then, when they speak of what they have seen, you will not be surprised."

Fury listened to this with a more neutral expression. When Thor paused, awaiting his reaction, Fury did not answer right away. He stepped around his desk and sat while the demigod remained standing, although there was one other chair remaining in the sparsely furnished room. Fury was one of the few people who was not utterly dwarfed in Thor's presence, but a seated position did not help him there.

Finally, taking a deep breath through his nose, Fury asked, "Which associates?"

"That is to be determined," Thor said. "When our business in New York is concluded, we shall go forth to meet with her father and settle those details."

Again, Fury did not reply immediately, allowing silence to linger in the room while he thought this over. "I want one of our guys there," he said. "Something like this needs a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as an eyewitness."

"You have followed her, spied on her, threatened her, and doubted her loyalty, all as she seeks the good of those she loves, and of this realm. I will not consent to your presence in Asgard."

"This isn't the best demonstration of that peace you claim to be working toward," Fury said. "I would expect a little more cooperation from a 'friend' of this planet."

"Be that as it may, you are not in a position to threaten us." Adopting a darker expression as he towered over the desk, Thor added, "Or anyone else under our protection."

Fury stood back up to better look the Asgardian in the eye. "Then you're going to have to try harder to convince me that you're still an ally at all. I had my suspicions back when your brother was pulling a Mussolini, but Agent Coulson vouched for you, and you pulled your weight in the battle for New York. I've been second-guessing my decision to let you take him and the Tesseract back to Asgard, but I haven't got much of a leg to stand on there. I have to say, you're not doing me any favors now."

"When the time comes, we shall inform you of every Midgardian present at the ceremony," Thor said. "I shall not prevent you from seeking an eyewitness account or any other information from them." He paused, lowering his forehead and staring intently into Fury's one visible eye. "But if you threaten Lady Clara again, you may learn what it is to be our enemy after all."

"Are you jealous?" Safia asked Clara. "If I had a fiancé who got comments like that, I'd keep a closer eye on him."

Clara laughed. "What am I supposed to do about it? And what is she really gonna do?"

After her visit to Stark Tower, Clara waited for Thor at her apartment. Between editing photos and returning emails—including turning down interviews due to her newly complicated schedule—she and Safia were reading her blog comments. Jarvis, and whatever else Tony's servers used for security, had kept out S.H.I.E.L.D. and a great deal of spam. The hilarious, thoughtful, and sometimes wildly inappropriate remarks by ordinary people, however, continued to add up. Clara wondered if some of the comments about Thor—and about her pictures of him from her recent photos of Asgard—would go unsaid if she had mentioned on her blog that they were engaged. Given the anonymity of Internet commenting, that was unlikely. She would have to put up with it, and at least could be proud that she had a fiancé appealing enough to draw such opinions.

"When are you going to mention the wedding?" Safia asked.

"I don't know. Eventually. I won't be able to update from Asgard, I'm sure, and they'll want to know why I post less often, just when things have gotten interesting."

"And…" Safia started to speak, then paused. She continued, "What about me? I mean…should I start looking for another roommate?"

Clara chewed her lower lip as she thought. "Maybe," she said. "I never thought you'd have to. I didn't think I'd get married for a while—to anyone."

"Not like you haven't kept up your part of the rent or anything. But it's lonely here without you being around as much," Safia said, smiling sadly. "Even before, when you were traveling, you weren't gone quite as often."

"Has Steve Rogers been around?" Clara asked, unable to resist a little smirk. "I forgot to ask him."

Safia rolled her eyes. "I tried calling him to ask him out for dinner, but he was busy. I guess he's been working a lot with Tony Stark and researchers wanting to know how he survived and everything."

"You should ask him to be your wedding date."

"Oh my gawd, yes please!" She stopped herself, groaning. "Clara, I've got a crush on a guy who's like a hundred years old!"

Clara threw back her head and laughed. "Want to know how old Thor is?"

Safia stared at her with wide, dark eyes. "Oh, no. How old?"

"I don't know!" Clara said with a giggle. "I never asked, and I don't think I want to know."

"Wait, so, like, is he immortal?"

Clara shrugged, still chuckling. "Is Steve?"

"I…don't know. Wow." She started to join in the giggling. "I don't really want to think about it."

"Probably shouldn't," Clara said.

The two young women gave in to the absurdity of their situations and filled the apartment with their laughter. They didn't hear the knock at the door, or even catch Thor's footsteps until he was practically in the room. For a second, the laughs turned to shrieks of surprise at seeing the blond giant standing in the bedroom doorway. Safia almost fell off the bed, and Clara slammed her laptop closed before Thor could glimpse the lascivious comment that had triggered their conversation.

"Did you find them?" Clara asked. She looked him up and down, noting his satisfied expression and the disheveled, dirtied clothing.

"It is more that they found me," he answered, grinning.

"What did you do?"

"I knew not where to begin my search for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters here. I thought it best to draw them to my location instead. I had to attract their attention, without disturbing your meeting with the Man of Iron."

"Disturb—?" Clara started. She saw Thor's eyes sparkle and, once again, wondered whether he had learned some troublemaking from the god of mischief. She held up a hand. "You know what, don't tell me how it happened." Thor chuckled. "So you were successful?"

Thor nodded. "I spoke with Director Fury himself. I wish I had done so sooner, to help and protect you. I thought only of my own realm, and myself. You should not have—" he paused, apparently lost for words.

Clara glanced nervously at Safia, who nodded and stepped around Thor and out of the room.

"It's okay," Clara said to Thor. "We're working it out together now. And it's…all right…with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"He requested that a member of his organization be present for the occasion, as part of your father's retinue. I refused—and reminded him of his world's dependence on Asgard. He seemed to understand."

"Thank you," Clara said. "It's bad enough we're gonna have my dad's goons there. If S.H.I.E.L.D. came too, on top of it all…"

When she shuddered, Thor stepped forward to place one hand on her shoulder, the other under her chin.

"I would give anything for you to have more joy in this time," he said. "A marriage is to be celebrated with great happiness. It pains me to see you so wearied by it."

She smiled at him. "I feel better just hearing you say that. And knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. will keep out of the way, at least, is comforting. Don't worry about me, Thor. Once the wedding day is here, I'll be the happiest bride ever seen…in any realm."

Clara was not afraid of heights, per se, but she was not overly fond of them. Thor flew them from New York to D.C., in short bursts so as not to make her ill. She kept her eyes shut most of the time. Their mode of transportation did not leave many options for an inconspicuous arrival, but Thor did his best by landing on a taller building in the business district.

Unfortunately, they did not go unnoticed by the construction workers next door. It might not be long before the police, or any number of dark-suited men from a variety of government agencies, were on their trail. All they had to do was get to her father's congressional office. She had sent a text back in New York, and he was expecting them. She wondered if he was nervous; she rather hoped he was. He knew the President of the United States, foreign dignitaries, and a number of celebrities, but the Prince of Asgard might be another matter.

Once again, in the summer heat, Clara was sweatier than she would have preferred when they arrived at their meeting place. She left Thor in the front office while she ducked into the restroom to try to freshen up. She gave up, thinking it was good enough for her father. When she came out, Thor was in conversation with the secretary. He looked innocent enough, standing tall and asking polite questions about the office and the city. The woman, however, was obviously gobsmacked; Clara was certain that her blouse was not buttoned up as far as it had been when they arrived.

"I'm back," Clara said, trying not to sound tense. She could not resist hooking her arm possessively around Thor's, her gaze leveled on the secretary. "I assume my father is expecting us?"

The woman cleared her throat. "Yes, go right in."

Senator McKenna obviously spent much more time in his office than in the apartment where Clara had stayed. In contrast to the spartan décor at the flat, the carpet and furniture here were expensive but well-used. Framed photographs of the senator meeting a variety of VIPs were arranged on shelves, his desk, and the walls. There were even some family photos, including one of eight-year-old Clara and eleven-year-old Francine on horseback. Paperwork was piled atop a filing cabinet beside the door and scattered across the surface of the desk. Two used coffee mugs sat there as well, one of them doubling as a paperweight. Behind him was a wall of built-in bookshelves filled with volumes new and old on a variety of subjects, but dominated by biographies of Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.

Used to the room itself, Clara hardly looked around. She would not have had a chance anyway, for her attention was immediately drawn to two men standing before them.

Clara's dismay at seeing Seth Rosen did not last long; she was too busy being amused by the looks on their faces. Seth's large brown eyes grew even wider, and some of the color drained out of the senator's cheeks. Clara had not expected them to find Thor quite this intimidating, but clearly she was so used to the demigod's presence that she was guilty of underestimating it. All too soon, to a vindictive part of her mind, the men recovered and began a round of introductions.

"Have you been to D.C. before, erm, sir?" Mr. McKenna asked Thor when everyone had taken seats around his desk.

"I arrived but days ago, when I made the Lady Clara my offer."

"Ah yes," the senator said. He leaned his elbows against the desk surface. "I was…surprised, to say the least, Clara. Your mom was practically in hysterics when she told me you were engaged."

"Engaged?" Seth asked, clearly hearing this news for the first time. Clara ignored him.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said to her father. "And sorry for leaving in such a rush. I didn't want the feds on my tail anymore. You understand."

"Well, then, you must have a good reason for coming back—as implied in your text," McKenna said.

"I do," Clara said. "I came to give you what you want."

"Is that so?"

"I spoken with Odin, and he's prepared to welcome a small group of researchers and officials to the palace of Asgard—as wedding guests."

"They don't have wedding photographers in Asgard," Seth asked wryly, "that you want a bunch of scientists and journalists documenting it?"

"The Lady Clara thought you would be glad for the opportunity," Thor said. "Rather than attempting to enter Asgard by force or by subterfuge, as you have considered, you would be welcomed as honored guests. We would, of course, expect guests to adhere to our laws and customs, and Clara assures me that such can be expected of a Midgardian senator, and those in his retinue."

"Did you hear that, Rosen?" McKenna said in an amused tone. "I'll be traveling with a retinue."

"Does this mean we'll find out how you go between Asgard and Earth?" Seth asked eagerly.

"I'm afraid so," Clara said. "In a way."

"What changed your mind, sweetie?" the senator asked.

"I told you I wanted to help," Clara said. "I just didn't want to lead an expedition to Asgard without the permission of the Asgardians. But I'm not doing this just because I was afraid you'd take me for a terrorist otherwise. I wasn't gonna be forced to go through security clearance or prove my citizenship. This way, Odin is forewarned, and having it during the wedding is the perfect opportunity. We're allowing it on our terms—or not at all."

A brief look in the senator's eyes told her that he was not pleased to be on the receiving end of his daughter's orders. Then, as she watched, his expression shifted, the annoyance replaced by pride. Clara felt her stomach sink to the floor. Now, more fully than ever, she realized how she had become exactly what he always wanted her to be.

"So what are some of those terms?" he asked, his tone slightly amused. Clara wondered if he was not quite taking her seriously.

"Figure out who you want to bring with you—you and Mom, obviously, and Francine if you can get ahold of her. I'd say get a group of no more than…six?" She looked up at Thor, but he only gave her a noncommittal half-nod. "No more than six more people to come with you. I want a one-page profile on each of them, so I can share their information with Odin so he knows what kind of people are entering his realm and can forbid them entrance if he wants."

"Just six?" Seth asked.

"You can propose more than that, but I'll still pare it down to six."

"That's ridiculous," Seth said. "What are we supposed to do with just six other people?"

"Come on, Rosen," the senator said. "It's my baby girl's wedding—and she makes the rules for her special day."