Windstar: Thank you very much for reading this story. I truly appreciate you all, and have responded to all reviews where people were logged in. I hope that you enjoy this story's conclusion. This epilogue is a bit darker than the previous chapters and goes over a much more serious issue. However, it also sets it up for the sequel which is going to be posted later today. The sequel is about twice as long as this, and it is complete so it's just a matter of posting.

This chapter and all others (in the sequel) are all dated after the end of the Avengers. The only thing you need to know about that movie is that Loki gets caught at the end and they're returning to Asgard.

Once again, thank you, and I hope to see you all in the sequel: The Pursuit of Happiness.

Chapter: Avengers

Thor really should have known better. His emotions at seeing his brother again…had been conflicted. He had looked at his brother and he had hoped that perhaps he was going to be all right. That maybe the "death" he'd suffered had been enough to bring Loki peace and settle his heart and mind. It had been a fool's hope.

Loki was just as angry, hurt, and tormented, as he had been on the last day that Thor had seen him. The god was shouting, hissing, manipulating, laughing, angry, rebellious – mad. Thor had felt his heart break in frustration. He had prayed that his brother would return, happiness in tact, but now he saw that it was all a mess and that there was nothing he could do.

There was nothing anyone could do. Guilt poured through him and his tireless patience towards all things considered Loki was reaching its breaking point. While he still wouldn't suffer any other's insolence towards his brother, his own mind was shifting towards relenting. Maybe it would be better if they broke the spell on Loki, he would die – but at least he'd be able to achieve happiness in the afterlife.

When all was said and done, and it was simply a matter of binding Loki and forcing him to return to Asgard where he could be charged and contained properly – Thor felt weary of it all. He was tired of the charade, tired of the guilt, and tired of everything. For over one thousand years he had counseled himself into believing that it was his fault in the first place and so he should simply tolerate all of Loki's actions regardless of their affect. He was starting to realize that that couldn't be possible anymore.

"Tell me, brother, why is that you have done this? You know that it is not right, you are not a fool, brother." Loki was bound in a SHIELD stronghold and he was going to stay there until they left.

"I'm not your brother." Loki hissed at him, his eyes sparkling with hatred that Thor was growing more and more accustomed to seeing. It tormented him throughout every waking moment, plaguing him along with his guilt. It was a wonder that he not keeled over from stress alone over the past few years.

"Yes…you are Loki." Thor whispered.

"You simply refuse to listen to reason, don't you?" Loki's sharp tongue, and cruel tone only led to the god of thunder to raise a weary hand over his face.

"You are a frost giant, you were adopted by our father, and so blood or not – you are my brother." It was Loki's turn to look exhausted how. Sliding to the floor of his cell, his head sank to his hands and his elbows rested on his knees. His face turned somber and his eyes slipped closed.

"Why must you be so…"

"Faithful?" Thor was teasing, and he caught the slight quirks of Loki's lips. He may not ever be able to be happy, but he could find momentary amusement…fleeting feelings that did nothing to capture the general mood of peace Thor had always wished his brother was allowed.

"I was going to say incompetent, but I suppose to each his own." Thor laughed at the statement. He had never needed to make a show of how entertaining he found his brother's wit. His encouragement seemed to only make Loki grow worse over the years, his words sharper and more direct. Thor didn't care; he just smiled and let it be known that he was pleased. It always made Loki's lips quirk that little extra bit more, and the god was doing it now.

"Brother, can we not be friends again?" Loki raised his eyes to look at Thor in defeat.

"Can you not simply end this for me, Thor? Truly, after all I've done, even you are above forgiveness." The comment tore at Thor's heart and he knelt before his brother – maintaining eye contact as he sank.

"Why are you trying so hard for my to hate you, Loki? When you know that I am incapable of doing so."

"I've slaughtered thousands, waged war against your precious Midgard-"

"You are my brother." Loki slammed a hand on the ground, anger crossing his features.

"Stop saying that!" Thor shook his head sadly.

"I cannot do that." He said softly.

"Can you not kill me and be done with it, Hel…it would be a mercy at this point." Tears pressed against Thor's eyes and he shook his head.

"I cannot kill you, Loki."

"Have Barton do it – he clearly yearns for it."

"I will not be responsible for your death."

"Damn you, Thor."

"Yes…that I deserve." Thor took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something Loki." The younger god snorted and rolled his eyes.

"If this is a long lost love confession, I'd rather die than suffer your ineptitude." Thor laughed slightly and shook his head.

"No, nothing of the sort." Thor said lightly. He opened his mouth and he spoke. He spoke about Muspelheim, he spoke about the deal he made, and he spoke about the guilt he'd carried. He explained how Odin had already been moving towards protecting Alfheim, and that he had called Heimdal away from the bridge so that he might assist in channeling the power needed to set a barrier between Alfheim and Muspelheim. Odin had known that his sons were going to Muspelheim, and he had known they would face folly there He'd left them behind to teach them a lesson. It was only when Thor had agreed to the deal that Surtr had offered did he start to go to the bridge to bring them back. He, obviously, had been to late to stop anything.

Then, Thor spoke about what had happened after Loki had released the scepter on the Bifrost. He spoke about how he confronted Odin and demanded an explanation for what had been done and for what should be done in the future. There, Odin told him the truth about the past.

How when he'd first brought Loki home, he'd hidden him away – far out of sight. He smuggled the babe into the city and sequestered him into a room by himself. Then, after that, he and Frigg announced she was with child. The farce continued through the gestation period and beyond. The world was none the wiser to the fact that Frigg had never been pregnant, and her days of solitude had been spent with Loki.

She held him to her; gently loving him in all ways a mother loved her son. She took him to her breast, and allowed her body to produce the nutrients he needed by will and love alone. He suckled just as any child of Odin would have. She cared deeply for her precious new child, and she did everything she could to ease his terrors.

As a baby, Loki was scared of the world. Asgard was so different from his birthplace, and so Frigg did as she could to comfort her new son. Odin spent much time with him, focused on easing his transfer into the palace. When he was finally brought before the court, the boy was well adjusted, but attached to his parents.

Odin had feared that telling Loki about his past would lead him to destruction. He had seen the mischievous and curious nature of Loki, he had seen the happiness and the delight that the boy had at doing anything that Thor wanted to and he was worried. Telling Loki when he was of age would have begged the question for why he hadn't said something the day before. It was always put off, and Odin regretted not saying something.

Muspelheim had affected Loki so much, because as a frost-giant, the boy was incapable of surviving in the scorching wasteland of that realm. It was the same as a fire-giant attempting to raid Jotunnheim. It would have ended in catastrophe. When they returned to Asgard, Odin sequestered the healing room, and barred the doors. He poured copious amounts of ice on Loki's immobile body, and the contact changed his form back to the frigid blue of a frost giant.

It took a month to recover from the heat and the damage, and Loki slept through it all. Odin didn't let anyone in, refused to allow anyone to see his son like this. He didn't want people to know, he didn't want people to treat him any differently. He wanted Loki to live happily and at peace.

But something strange had happened while Odin was caring for Loki. It was something a healer had mentioned, that the All Father looked into. A frost-giant would never have survived the damage that was done to him. He would never have made it out of Muspelheim. Loki had…and that, coupled with his slight stature and his transformation into a god in certain heats – led them all to one conclusion.

"You're half-Asgardian, Loki." Thor stated firmly. Loki's expression hadn't changed through his tale, but his calculating gaze was locked on Thor the whole while. "Your mother…she was a god, a lesser god – mind, but a god none the less. While you deny Asgard as your home, you are still an Asgardian. That blood has just as much claim – if not more – than Jotunnheim. Proclaiming yourself to be less than a god, and refusing to return on that basis is false. You are a god, Loki, you are my brother, and I will do as I always have done. I will try to find a way to restore your happiness to you, and should that fail, I will always protect you."

Loki didn't appear to be listening to him. His eyes were staring out in front of him, a vacant expression in his eyes. His mouth was parted slightly, and when Thor had finished speaking, he blinked quickly and shot him a firm gaze.

"You know who she is. My mother, you know who she is." Loki stated shortly, and Thor winced and looked away. Trust Loki to be hung up on that detail. "Who is it?" He asked, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap.

"I only know her name, we have never met her." He spoke it then, and incomprehension crossed Loki's face. He'd never heard of her before. Thor sighed, his lips tightening to a thin line. "She died many years ago, Loki."

"How long ago?"

"Over one thousand years." Loki's math was never poor.

"She died when I was a baby." Thor shifted uncomfortably. "When I was born?"

"Loki…"

"After all you've done, would you deny me knowledge of mother too?" Loki scoffed slightly, and Thor winced at the jagged tone in his voice.

"She was a sorceress in father's army…during his campaign in Jotunheim. She was taken prisoner…" All the color drained from his face, and any illusions that Loki might have had about the nature of his birth vanished in an instant. Thor stopped speaking, pain clear in his expression.

Had his parents been wicked, but in love…Loki would have clearly been able to handle it better. But they were not even that. His father had raped his mother, and he was the bastard child from their union. A bastard child left to die in the cold wastelands of a realm where he was hated.

"Loki…"

"I wish to be alone." The young god murmured, squeezing his eyes shut and dipping his head into his hands.

"I cannot do that."

"Why must you insist on torturing me like this?" Loki met his brother's eyes. "No, brother, if you ever cared for me- then please leave me alone."

"You wouldn't be happy if I did that-"

"I can't ever be happy, Thor so do not try to preach that tired song to me now. You know exactly how deep my distaste runs, unless you're here to end this life for good then you are of no use to me. So leave me! I wish…I wish to be alone just for a time. An hour, two most, please brother." Loki met Thor's eyes beseechingly, but Thor shook his head.

"You cannot be unsupervised. I will…not say anything, I will sit here – very quiet."

"No, not you. Barton. Stark, any of the others – not you. Not now." Loki shook his head. "You owe me at least one moment to be free from you." Pain tore at Thor's heart, and he nodded his head.

"Goodbye then, brother." He whispered. Pressing a communication button, he waited until someone came to relieve him. When someone took over, he spared Loki one last look, before whispering a farewell.

Loki never replied, he kept his gaze focused off in the distance. Try as he might, Thor could see the tears that Loki was attempting to conceal. He'd made a mess of things. He only prayed that he could make them right one day soon. Somehow…he doubted that day would come during this lifetime.

The next day, everything had been set in order for their return to Asgard. The Avengers had all assembled to see them off, most of them ready to head out the moment after they'd gone. There were cars and packed gear laying here or there, and the men and woman were standing in a semi circle – watching them approach.

In his cell, Loki had said nothing as Tony insisted on tying a muzzle around his mouth. It was to keep him from whispering a spell and have him disappear into the dark. He didn't bother explaining beforehand that it was useless. Wordless magic was a trifle to one such as he, and while it did keep him from lying, it wouldn't do much more than that. The god didn't bother fighting as Thor led him to an open plot of land and urged him to take hold of the Tesseract so they could return home.

Some of the "Avengers" were making snide comments and jeering at the sight. Others, such as the noble Captain, were nobler – simply wishing them a safe journey (or rather, wishing Thor a safe journey) and saying he hoped to work with him again. Loki glared towards Stark when he made a comment about how he looked like such a good dog on a leash now. He was certain Thor hadn't heard it, because the blonde wasn't paying attention for it, but Loki did…and Loki was far from impressed with Stark's insults.

These people thought that a muzzle and the gods were going to stop him? He was only being compliant because he was suddenly very tired with everything. He was exhausted with trying to get other people to kill him, and try as he might – his idiot brother was still spouting nonsense of wanting to protect him…even after he had purposefully slaughtered people simply to gain his ire.

Right now, he was tired, put out, and sulking. Midgard lost its appeal almost immediately, and he had no desire to return. He did, however, have a deep desire to speak to Surtr…it seemed the fire giant had something that belonged to him.

Thor met his eyes then, a beseeching look on his features. Loki pressed his hand against the container holding the Tesseract, and Thor twisted it. Light burst around them and they flew off into the oblivion, shooting to the stars and returning to Asgard. Loki didn't particularly care about the destination, however. He simply sighed and followed as his brother led him through the long twisting passages of Asgard.

He looked at the city, and found that he had no love for this place. He had no attachment here, and his heart ached. He had long thought something was wrong with him to make him do as he had done. Now that he knew what the answer was, it shouldn't be too difficult to solve the problem.

He just needed to think…and then find a way back into Muspelheim.