Natalie Rushman - I liked the idea of Odin watching over his grandson. In mythology he is horrible to Loki's kids, but I like to think the Marvel version of him would be a loving grandfather.

Silvermane1 - Thanks

Chapter 12

Wind whipped and tugged at raven locks while sinister currents of lavender lightning cutting through the darkness. The tempest pummeled him now that his shelter of seidr had fallen. He had lost the battle. The mage prince of Asgard was nothing more than a shell, a mindless puppet, a slave controlled by Thanos. Loki could only watch helplessly as his seidr was unleashed on the realm eternal. Ragnarok had truly come.

Thor made his last stand, not in the throne room at Odin and Frigga's side, but as a sentinel in front of Sigyn's rooms. The titan approached in his brother's form, leaving the bodies of Sif and the Warriors Three in his wake. How ironic that the seidr they had mocked in their youth had hastened their demise. That same green glow danced on the titan's stolen fingers. Neither bright blue eyes nor the malevolent sneer belonged on the face that stared down the God of Thunder. And then clones advanced, spreading out and surrounding the crown prince of Asgard.

"Loki," Thor breathed, swinging Mjolnir swiftly through one, two, three ... "Brother … please."

The plea was cut short with a scepter through Thor's chest from behind, much the same way that Coulson had met his end. Thanos stepped through the threshold of the room, only to be thrown backwards by Sigyn's wards. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he stood and placed his hands in the doorway. Loki's seidr made quick work of the wards, and he continued his pursuit.

Sigyn stood in front of Nari's crib, hands extended in front of her as she cast a shield. "I will not allow you to harm him," she said with firm resolution even though the tremble in her voice betrayed her fear. She was no match for him, and she knew it.

"Fear not, Wife. I have no desire to harm him," Thanos said softly. In the form of a mage, the child's magic sang to him. He would be a powerful and relentless tool. "I have many children, all beloved by me, all feared throughout the galaxy."

"You will not take him," Sigyn whispered, but the protest died on her lips. Green seidr shredded her shield. The titan expected the dagger; he had seen it in Loki's memories. She stood proud, ready to face death. Before she could attack, Thanos touched the tip of the scepter to her chest. The dagger tumbled from her fingers as her blue eyes brightened.

"You are truly a remarkable woman," Thanos said as slender fingers lifted her chin, lips ghosting over hers. "You begged for her life, godling, and I grant it to you. She will stay at your side."

The child began to cry, perhaps sensing his mother's distress. The titan approached the crib and gathered the boy into his arms, rocking gently to soothe him. "Hush, Little One. Your father is here."

Sigyn woke to her husband stirring in his sleep. Protests of, "No!", and "Please!", came out in rushes of panicked breathing.

"Loki," she called, reaching out a hand to shake him. The mage began to thrash, tangling himself in the sheets as he mumbled incoherent threats to an unseen foe, seidr glowing on his fingers.

Suddenly, he let out a desperate cry and snapped open his eyes. Breaths came in short, rushed bursts and glassy eyes searched the room. His eyes focused on her, chest still heaving as he let out a broken whisper, "Are you real?"

Sigyn placed a hand on his cheek, smiling as she allowed her seidr to wash over him. Magic did not lie. "Yes, I am real, Mischief."

Loki abruptly pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as though she might vanish at any moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly, continuing to bathe his battered mind in healing magic. His mental shielding was wounded and raw.

"I lost," he murmured. "I … he used me … I brought Ragnarok to Asgard … I killed Thor … he claimed you … he was going to raise Nari to be one of his order … it felt so real."

"It was a dream," Sign soothed, slipping from his arms to look him in the eyes. "You are safe."

"Perhaps for now, but I thwarted him and cost him two infinity stones." There was something haunted in his eyes as he said, "he promised he would come for me … promised I would wish for something as sweet as pain." He drew in faster shallow breaths, on the verge of hyperventilating as tears pooled in his eyes. "I'm afraid of what he will do to me," he whispered, "but I fear even more that he will harm you or Nari."

Sigyn pulled her husband to her, resting her chin on his head as she held him close. In the comfort of his wife's embrace, Loki began to sob, tears wetting the front of her gown. She stroked his hair and rubbed soothing circles on his back as he fell apart in her arms. In their years of marriage, she had seen him angry, hurt, and distraught at times. Never before had she seen him so completely and utterly broken.

"If he comes for you, he will face the might of Asgard," she whispered softly. "You're not alone anymore."

"I fear I have truly gone mad - that this is all a dream or delusion manufactured by my broken mind. I keep expecting to wake up in that cell again."

Sigyn pulled away from him, lifting his chin. "I am real," she said before pressing her lips to his. Loki deepened the kiss, sliding his hands up her back. He broke away for a moment, resting his forehead against hers as he whispered, "I need you."

They kissed again fervently, hungry for each others' touch after being apart for so long. Eager lips and hands explored familiar flesh, drawing small gasps and moans.

"I do remember being forbidden to do anything strenuous," Loki said between laying small nips down Sigyn's throat. In response, she lifted up her arms so Loki could slide her gown over her head.

"Why would you begin to listen to healers now?" Sigyn teased as she laid back, pulling him on top of her.

Loki captured her lips deeply again, reveling in the feel of her warm skin beneath his as husband and wife took comfort in each others' arms.

"Sir ..? You need to wake up. Sir ..?"

"Hmmm," Tony murmured, glancing over to look at the clock. "J, buddy, it's 3 am."

"There appears to be a disturbance outside Mrs. Odinson's quarters."

That got his attention. Tony sat straight up. "What is it? Do I need a suit?"

"It appears to be Mr. Odinson."

"Loki?" Tony asked, scrambling to pull on clothes.

"No, Thor Odinson, Sir. You best go downstairs."

Tony hurriedly made his way to the elevator and made the trip to the disturbance in question. Whatever was going on, there were one thing he knew to be true - it was way too early for this. The doors opened and he got his first glimpse of Thor shouting angrily at the door - something incomprehensible.

"Okay, hey, Point Break, what seems to be the problem?"

The elevator chimed and Cap and Banner stumbled out of the elevator, looking way to chipper for 3 am. But, yeah, backup was nice.

"I went to check on my brother, but found that he was not in his bed. Your servant, JARVIS, said that he entered Sigyn's rooms some time ago." Thor paced back and forth in front of the door. "I have knocked, but there is no answer. Also, Loki has placed strong wards on the door so I cannot enter. I am concerned for Sigyn and Nari's safety."

Tony realized this was a simple problem to solve. "So, J," Tony said. "Can you just confirm that everything is okay in there so that we can all go back to sleep?"

"As I told Mr. Odinson, Sir," JARVIS replied, "something is interfering with my sensors. I cannot see or hear anything inside the apartment. I am afraid I am of little help."

"Huh," Tony murmured. He would definitely have to ask Loki later how he managed to block JARVIS. In the meantime, he wasn't sure if Asgard had an equivalent of hanging a necktie on a door, but all evidence pointed to Thor's little brother wanting to be alone with his wife.

"I am going to attempt to break through Loki's wards," Thor said, raising that damn hammer and pointing it at the door.

"We should probably think this through a bit more," Rogers began, only to be cut off by a flash of lightning that left the door to the apartment in smoldering ruins. Asgard was totally paying for that door, Tony decided.

They waited. After a few moments, they heard a feminine scream - not an "I'm being murdered sort of scream," probably more of an, "I am going to murder someone scream." There was some yelling in a different language - Loki's voice. That actually answered one of Tony's questions - no, they didn't speak English on Asgard. Thor shuffled out of the apartment, a tinge of red to his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, when Loki stormed out hot on his heels, dressed in armor. The younger brother paused for a moment, turning to survey the gathered Avengers.

"And I see you brought an audience - your voyeurism truly knows no boundaries, Thor."

"You could have told me I you were leaving, Brother."

"I was not aware I needed your permission to lay with my wife," Loki snapped back.

"That is not what I meant …" Thor paused for a moment, studying his baby brother, before grabbing a vase from a nearby table and throwing it at - or rather through Loki - Asgard was paying for that vase, too. "Really, Brother, an illusion."

"Well, I am indisposed and indecent at the moment, unless you would rather me parade out there in nothing but …"

"Brother!" Thor bellowed, sounding shocked and outraged. Loki simply smirked, apparently enjoying humiliating the older god like any true brother would.

"Go back to bed Thor … and everyone else," Loki said pointedly. "I assure you, Sigyn and Nari are safe. I will speak with all of you later."

Loki turned to enter the apartment again, but simply disappeared instead. Tony noticed that somehow the door was whole again and the unbroken vase was sitting on the shelf nearby. Okay, so maybe Asgard didn't have to pay for anything, but he really needed to know more about magic.