This is it! The finale to this AU! Hope you've enjoyed it. Please don't forget to review at the end!

I think I didn't clarify this before, and in case it wasn't obvious already, the reason for this particular AUs title is pretty simple: Nightingale is Loki's Absolution. She has always been and always will be, but in this particular one it is especially obvious with the 'Trial by Combat'.

Trust

The trust we had in each other made everything else easy, even the impossible.

The problem with meditation, as far as I'm concerned, has always been losing track of reality. Considering the test I was being put through, losing track of reality definitely was a better option than straight out physical and emotional torture.

I first discovered meditation when I was fourteen and waiting to die from the leukemia. Aunt Kathryn had tried to convince me to take all kind of high-end pain meds after I refused the morphine drip, but I kept refusing all of them. They made me space out a bit too much, made me forget what was real and what wasn't, made me disconnect… and I didn't like that, not only because it made me feel, deep inside, like I was gone already, something I hated even though I didn't actually fear death. Truth is, I knew I was going to die, and while I may have accepted that hard fact, I was going to do all I could to stick around as long as I possibly could; and doing so while not being 'quite there' didn't seem worth it. There was also Loki, my time with him seemed to have been cut short abruptly, but I was still going to make the best of it; enjoy his presence for as long as I could…

Discovering meditation was my saving grace, Aunt Kathryn's last ditch attempt to help me somehow, and it was the one thing that worked right. It didn't quite work like I read in the books my aunt got me, or in the internet, but it still worked, and that was all I cared for. It was nice, right when the pain began to escalate, to be able to regulate my breathing and then almost dive into a deep corner of my mind. My 'special spot' was actually a mix of my beloved rose garden, along with a mix of places Loki had told me he'd seen in his travels, both from Midgard and Asgard; places I had once dreamed of going to eventually… in that moment, while traveling seemed impossible, it was still a good dream, a sanctuary.

Being in that protected corner of my mind, I never forgot there was a real world outside, a life waiting for me. I would just stay there long enough for the stabs of pain to stop coming, just long enough to be able to handle it; then I would emerge. Like coming out of my room after sleeping some sickness off… or at least the worst of it. Being in my sanctuary never stopped the pain, but lessened it enough to make it manageable, made me able to keep living…

Retreating to my sanctuary in the middle of the test, while being especially aware of the bonds connecting me to Loki changed the stakes a bit. My mental haven was still what it'd always been, but it was as if, even as I sat there, among the flowers, I could feel Loki standing behind me, in some invisible corner, watching me. I couldn't see him but I still knew he was there. I wondered if I would be able to connect to him from my haven, if it would be easier or harder than the exchange of emotions and vague ideas we'd been doing in the last day…

In any case, one thing was definitely easy: while I could still feel the attacks that were technically part of the test, fear and pain no longer threatened to take me over, and the coldness no longer felt so much like Loki's skin. Oh, I never believed it was him, no way, but it had still made me uncomfortable. My haven allowed me to distance myself from the attacks on my body, which seemed to come faster and be harder as time passed. On the other side, while in meditation I had less of a handle on time than I had during the test.

I had no idea how much time had passed, before I went into meditation, or since, but a moment came when I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked up I could see a ghost-like Loki.

"Time's up, my lady…" He called in a gallant tone. "You need to wake up."

The words were pretty simple, but I had no problem understanding what they meant, what he meant, so I just smiled at him, allowing him to pull me up at the same time I let go of my hold on meditation and my sanctuary; by the time I was on my feet there was no garden, no eclectic constructions, instead it was once again the arena around me.

I actually looked down, checking myself over for injuries I knew subconsciously wouldn't be there. And they weren't. There wasn't a single mark on my skin, nor on my clothes, except for the sand of the arena's floor that had stuck to my legs or the skirts of my dress.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked, looking me over carefully.

"Perfectly." I answered brightly. "You said time was up. Does that mean I passed?"

"With flying colors." He assured me with a half smirk.

I couldn't help the peal of laughter that left my lips, which only grew as he took hold of my hips, holding me up and swinging me around in glee; both of us laughing like crazy. Our bout of laughter was only interrupted when he pulled me closer to him, for a kiss so intense I lost my mind. Until Thor had to go and crash our private party.

"Brother, sister, I believe you're making a few people uncomfortable." He called, though it was obvious by the tone of his voice that he was laughing.

"Partypooper…" I think I might have actually pouted at that point.

Loki just laughed some more.

"Silbhé Salani." Odin called with all the authority I knew he was capable of. "Lady Nightingale."

Both Loki and I instantly turned our whole attention to him, to everyone still on the viewing deck (Lady Frigg was looking particularly happy with the course of events).

"You have passed the test." Odin made the result official. "And the Trial by Combat as well."

"So, that means Loki is completely free, right?" I focused on what was more important to me first. "He has a clean slate now and no one will ever try to use the events of the last few days against him. Ever."

"So mote it be." Odin made my words law.

"So mote it be." Thor and his mother repeated.

"So mote it be." The Elders seemed a tad more reluctant, but had no choice in the matter.

I was actually surprised by that turn of things, but happy nonetheless; my love was safe, I was able to do something to protect me, which I'd dreamt of for years!

"You are also now a citizen of Asgard." Lady Frigg added.

Just like that Loki was suddenly holding a golden apple right in front of me: one of Idunn's apples, the fruit of immortality. I turned to look at him in surprise. While yes, we had talked about the test granting me immortality, I'd never stopped to consider what it meant.

"Eat it." Loki whispered to me.

There was no hesitation in me. I just took the fruit in my hand and bit into it. I had eaten apples before, though not very often; I'd never liked apples on their own much, only eating them in slices and covered in honey. Idunn's apple didn't need any honey, it was the sweetest, tastiest, most amazing fruit I'd ever tasted.

When I finished the apple, still standing right there, in the middle of the arena, Loki vanished the core. I felt something like an adrenaline rush deep inside; and while nothing outwardly changed, I knew I wasn't the same person I'd been. I was immortal…

"My Goddess…" Loki whispered, embracing me tightly and kissing my hair.

I felt a strange shift and when I pulled back I noticed I was no longer in the off-white tunic with the green sash; instead I was wearing a lilac goddess-style floor-length sleeveless dress with a white sash and white sandals. The attire was quite beautiful, and in my favorite color too, though I hadn't been expecting the change.

"While I'm sure you would look gorgeous in green…" Loki whispered huskily to me. "You're your own person, and I want everyone to know it."

"Lady Nightingale…" Odin called from above right then. "Bride of my youngest son… I expect the ceremony will be taking place soon?"

When Loki looked at me with an intensity that I felt like he was looking straight into my heart and soul, I knew he was planning something, and for the hint of mischievousness in the corner of his eyes and mouth, I was sure it was something big and sure to cause more than a little craziness. So, why not? I was certainly up for some chaos.

"Mo Anam Cara?" He said, though it sounded more like a question.

"Mo Anam Cara." I answered with no hesitation.

The moment he held one of my hands with each of his, right to right and left to left; our arms crossed in between us, I suddenly had a very good idea what he had in mind. I still didn't hesitate, it wasn't like I was against making chaos every now and then! And not like I wasn't ready for the commitment, so…

I could hear him whispering the words inside my mind, allowing me to pronounce them at the same time he did; making it seem like we had prepared it all beforehand instead of having just thought of it right then:

"I do so swear that you will be my only one. I shall look at no other the way I look at you, I shall think of no other the way I think about you, I shall talk to no other the way I talk to you, I shall desire no other the way I desire you, and I shall lay with no other the way I lay with you. I shall be with no other for you are now and forever shall be my one and only; my friend, my lover, my partner, my match…"

We finished our declaration with a short but passionate kiss, right as magic exploded around us in light and colors. It reminded me a bit of the last thing I'd been aware of before the Bifrost had sucked us up and off the Earth, except more intense somehow. Also, when we separated I could see that the number of magical ribbons connecting us had doubled (either that or there had been more than I'd first believed from the very beginning). It looked almost like a hand-fasting ceremony, only more magical.

As we turned to the viewing deck we could see Lady Frigg smiling in obvious delight, Thor was trying to hold back his laughter at our unplanned actions, Sif and the Warriors just shook their heads silently (they probably were expecting us to do something already), while Odin remained pretty much emotionless… except for the slightest tug on the edge of his lip, and the hint of… something in his eyes. The Elders were, obviously, completely shocked.

"You're insane!" One finally called. "A commitment like that cannot be entered so lightly! You haven't the slightest idea what you've just done!"

"Doing it now, in a week, a month, a year…" I drawled quite calmly. "What's the difference in the end? We were still going to do it. And, if you ask those who saw us yesterday, we were already bonded before this so…" I shrugged.

Really, I didn't see what the problem was.

It wouldn't be until some time later that someone would see fit to tell me that, while vows like that one, magical bonds were an ancient and well respected form of marriage, it wasn't the usual one. Why? Because it was too much of a commitment for some people. Being all immortal, or the closest there was to that, some found 'eternal commitment' too much for themselves. I thought they were the crazy ones, but I've always believed in things like soulmates, eternal love, and all that so… who knows?

In any case, we were as good as married, before enough witnesses that no one would ever be able to doubt it. All that was left was an official announcement to the rest of the realm… oh, and to notify my own, mortal, family, of what was going on… that was going to be beyond crazy!

xXx

A feast was being organized for the end of the week, but not everything was joy and roses. Thor was very tense, had been since the very first night. It turned out that he'd promised Jane to go back for her, to her; and he hadn't been able to yet. Things had, at least, gotten a little less tense after Loki had used his powers to send a letter to Jane. None of us could yet leave for Midgard again, but at least Thor was able to use the letter to reassure his lady that things were alright and we would be going back in a few days. Jane had gone as far as to leaving a note on her vanity (where Loki had sent Thor's letter) with a short response, just enough to reassure Thor that she was fine, working with S.H.I.E.L.D.… and apparently Agent Coulson was going crazy trying to find out who exactly I was, and what my connection to Asgard was! I knew that nothing he found in my records would help him, and also wondered how he and his superiors would react when I returned no longer as Silbhé Salani, but as Princess Nightingale, wife of Loki. It was a strange prospect, and one I still had no idea of how to explain to my aunt and father; mainly my Aunt Kathryn, I rarely ever saw my father since he remarried.

What we weren't quite expecting was the news Heimdall brought to us a couple of days before the feast to celebrate Loki's and my union.

"My Lords and Ladies." Heimdall bowed respectfully. "We have a problem… with Jotunheim."

Indeed there was a problem, and once it was explained one had to wonder how no one prepared for it beforehand. Laufey had been assassinated, that had left the realm of the Frost Giants without a leader, with the former King's two sons fighting to get the position (other sons who weren't Loki). The oldest of them, Laufey's second, was the less violent of the two, the more political one; he was hoping to secure his position by showing his people he could get them justice for their old King, and he believed Asgard would help… after all, the last thing the Allfather wanted was more war, and Helblindi had promised a truce if the Realm Eternal helped them get the throne. Most of us didn't quite agree with the plan, most downright hated it.

"I think this might be something I need to do." Loki pointed out after a very long argument.

"No!" Lady Frigg, Thor and I cried out at the same time.

"I need to make amends with more than just Asgard." Loki said to all, though his eyes were fixed straight on me.

"You are not going to Jotunheim to get yourself killed." I hissed back at him.

"I am not getting myself killed…" He was trying to convince me, but I doubted he fully believed the words himself.

"You're not one to lie to me, don't try to start now." I chided him.

"I'm not lying…" He tried to insist.

"Very well." I nodded. "Then I'm going with you."

"No!" He cried out instantly.

"Why?" I challenged. "Because if the next words out of your mouth are that it's too dangerous for me, then it certainly is too dangerous for you!"

He didn't actually have an answer for that; and I decided I wasn't going to give him time to come up with a plan to put himself on danger. No way. I knew what I was going to do was harsh, pretty much below the belt, but if it allowed me to help I was willing to do it.

"Allfather…" I called respectfully to Odin. "I would like to be allowed to act as Ambassador and Negotiator with Helblindi and Jotunheim in this matter."

"What…?!" Thor and Loki were totally shocked by my petition.

"I know you, my love." I told Loki softly. "You believe this is something you need to do, and regardless what I say, you'll do it. Well, for that very reason I am going with you, no matter what. If the Allfather allows this I will even get the chance to be of some help." My mind was beginning to formulate a plan, crazy but viable. "Besides, I think that if I introduce myself initially as someone separate from this matter, someone neutral, I might be able to convince them to allow for some negotiations. Peaceful negotiations… which don't end with your head on a pike or all of us back at war with the Frost Giants!"

No one had any reply to that, and I could see that at least some of them recognized the political value of what I was proposing. My position as Loki's wife and princess of Asgard wasn't quite official just yet, it wouldn't be until the feast in a couple of days; if there was a moment to do a move like that, it was then.

"I want to go down as saying this is very dangerous, and I don't like it." Loki stated in an almost petulant tone of voice.

"Duly noted." I couldn't help my half smirk in reply.

"Go down saying…?" Thor inquired, confused. "Aren't you going to stop her?"

"It's quite obvious you don't know my Nightingale yet, brother." Loki shook his head with a small half-smile. "If you didn't you would know there's no way to 'get' her to do anything she doesn't want to, and certainly no way of keeping her from something she does want so… no, I won't even try. Better just to accept her and think of ways to protect her."

"I am as protected as I need to be." I pulled a bit on my necklace, reminding him of the power he'd poured on it.

"I will allow this." The Allfather declared. "They are your decisions, and I will stand by them. However, do not put yourselves in danger." His voice turned softer as he added. "I don't want to lose my daughter before Asgard knows her…"

I nodded in his direction, with a smile. The last few days had allowed me to know him better; had allowed us all to know each other better; and while Odin still wasn't my favorite person, I knew he wasn't as bad as I'd once believed, same with Heimdall. They'd made mistakes, yes, but everyone did and it was not a sin, it was just… human.

xXx

We actually worked out a plan, of sorts. It was decided that I would arrive to Jotunheim, introducing myself as Lady Nightingale, Ambassador and Negotiator for Asgard, I was to reveal that I was a new citizen, with Midgardian origins; we all hoped that would make me seem less threatening, maybe even make the Jotun, Helblindi especially, more willing to talk with me. I had power to do executive decisions as long as they didn't imply a challenge to any current laws or a danger to Asgard or some other realm. Also, I would be with four guards, one of which would be Hogun (he'd volunteered to the task) and another who would be Loki under disguise (he would be answering to his Midgardian alias while we were there). The last part was because Loki had refused downright to allow me to do the trip without him; and yet we knew it wouldn't be a good idea for him to arrive so openly to Jotunheim. He was to stay under disguise until some deal was reached unless I was in danger.

And so we appeared in Jotunheim. I was wearing what, since passing the Test, had become my formal attire: the lilac goddess-style dress with the pearly white sash; only, in consideration to the rather different climate, the dress had transparent sleeves that reached almost to the tip of my fingers, I wore also dark leather boots and a heavy dark plum cloak with a white-gold nightingale clasp (it had been a gift from Odin and Frigg). My hair was piled up on the top of my head elegantly with some curls loose. All in all, the perfect image of a princess (or a lady) or so my new handmaidens declared when they were finished with me.

The arrival to Jotunheim went well enough. The cloak was spelled to keep me warm regardless of how cold it might be. The guards seemed obviously surprised that I was there with four guards rather than someone 'more important', but none said a word, just escorting us to the Main Hall of their ancient castle.

Things got a bit hard there. As the Jotun were so much taller than any of us a dais of sorts had been placed in the center of the room, for me to climb upon so I wouldn't be so far down from everyone else. The place was narrow enough that only two of the guards could climb with me (Hogun, and obviously, Loki, did). Still, it was a precarious climbing as the stairs were covered with a thin layer of ice, making it slippery. Somehow I managed to do it without slipping more than the slightest bit a couple of times, nothing that would call attention to myself.

"State your name and intentions here in Jotunheim." A spokesperson ordered me, in a tone that reminded me of the test I'd gone through a few days before.

"Lady Nightingale." I introduced myself formally. "I am here to act in behalf of Asgard as Ambassador and Negotiator."

"We didn't ask for an Ambassador." One of the Jotun called loudly from a side.

"And we already offered what Negotiation we were willing to do." Another added from the opposite side. "We want the head of that traitor on a stake!"

"Excuse me?" I pretended to be shocked by the demand, though I actually was by the accusation. "Did you say traitor? I understand you hold a grudge against L… Prince Loki, but where does the accusation of treason come from?"

"He made promises to us…" One began, before being shushed by Helblindi with a signal.

"Prince Loki is an Odinson, a son and Prince of Asgard." I pointed out as evenly as I could. "Aiding you in any way that went against Asgard, against the Aesir… that would have been treason. What makes you think you have a call on his loyalty?"

"He's nothing more than a dog!" A Jotun screeched from somewhere behind me. "Kinslayer!"

Things actually got complicated when a knife made of ice was thrown in my direction. I barely managed to push enough calm through the bond to convince Loki to let me handle it, at the same time I raised my hand to block the blade before it could impact my neck or face; it smashed into pieces when coming in contact with my skin.

"What the hell was that?!" Several called, obviously not having expected that.

"I am not defenseless, people." I deadpanned, before diving straight back to the matter at hand. "Now, what allows you to accuse Loki of being Kinslayer?"

"You may not know this, Lady Nightingale…" For the first time Helblindi actually spoke. "But the man you call a Prince of Asgard is anything but. Your 'Prince Loki' is Laufeyson, not Odinson, and my brother. His actions aided in the demise of king Laufey, our King, our father. He must be brought to justice for that."

I actually had to stop a few seconds to ponder on how to handle the revelation. Yes, I had known all of it; I just hadn't expected him to try and use it in his own favor… and then, I had an idea:

"Just so we're all on the same page, Lord Helblindi." I informed him calmly. "I did know all that before coming here."

"Then you understand why Loki must pay…" He began.

"What I don't understand…" I interrupted him, ignoring the scathing looks all around. "Is what makes you think it makes any difference whatsoever."

There were hisses and growls of disapproval from all around, and I could see from the corner of my eye as Loki tensed, ready to protect me at a moment's notice; but there was no need to, because I suddenly knew exactly what to say:

"You know there is an old saying in Midgard: 'The Covenant of Blood is Thicker than the Water of the Womb'." I said with an easy tone. "It doesn't matter what blood or race, or whatever other relation you might have with Loki; nothing will ever be stronger than the bond of blood shed side by side, the pact of comradeship and brotherhood he's formed with Prince Thor, with Lord Odin and Lady Frigg, with Asgard… Laufey might have been responsible for his birth, but he was also the one who abandoned an infant, not even a week old, in a broken temple, in the aftermath of the worst battle, the worst war ever… Laufey left his son, his firstborn to die. The Allfather took him in, made him his own, an Odinson, cared for him, raised him…"

"If things were so perfect, why did your prince come looking for our King?" The spokesman demanded. "Why did he call on bonds of blood?"

"It's perfectly normal to want to know more about one's origins, it's also absolutely normal to feel a bit off, confused, when first finding out said origins aren't what you thought they were." I replied, still evenly. "In the end, it doesn't matter if Odin was a perfect father or not, it doesn't change the fact that he is, in fact, Loki's father, has been for the last thousand years; whatever right Laufey might have had to him, he gave it up in the first few days. And why? Because the child was small?" I snorted looking down at myself to emphasize my disdain at the idea. "Size isn't everything…"

"No, it certainly isn't." Helblindi agreed. "As you are proving right now, my lady. I do not know any female, any creature, in any world, who can talk with the passion, the eloquence and also the trickery you've made use of in the last few minutes."

I didn't reply verbally to that, just bowing my head briefly in thanks to the compliment (because that was how I was taking it). The surprise came when he actually got on his feet, walking to the middle of the room, until he was able to get on a knee in front of me, just a few feet over me.

"You certainly are something, little lady." He commented. "Who are you really?"

"I was born Midgardian, I answered honestly, took the name Nightingale later on." I was willing to reveal a lot, but not my connection to Loki yet. "I passed the Immortality Test a few days ago, became a citizen of Asgard."

"And what could have made the Allfather interested in giving such a young woman, and from a world he seems to hold in nothing but contempt, a chance for immortality?" He inquired, seemingly growing more interested in me by the minute.

I just shrugged, discreetly rubbing at the base of the ring finger of my left hand with my thumb. Neither Loki nor I had ever been ring people; also, they weren't exactly a tradition in Asgard. However, if there was one tradition I loved it was that of the claddagh, and Loki knew it. The tattoos had been his idea: created by magic, and therefore painless, also imbued with the other's power, they added to our connection in many ways.

According to Lady Frigg our bond had become the strongest she'd ever seen, with about a dozen colored-light ribbons tying us together. The basis being, not just our love, loyalty and devotion; but also the physical signals in the deamarkonian, the tattooed rings, even the memories of pain from the test that had secured my immortality and his freedom…

"Maybe she's a bride…" I heard whispered theories around. "Maybe she's Prince Thor's bride."

"So, my lady, since you seem to have all the cards, what is your plan?" Helblindi inquired.

"First, I want to leave something clear." I stated. "And that is the situation Laufey put you all in. He was making a deal with a 'supposed' traitor, to kill the King of Asgard. He believed that the son he gave up to death for something that was never his fault, would help the worst enemy Asgard has ever had, to kill the only father said son ever knew? In what crazy reality could such a thing ever work?"

Helblindi blinked, taking in my words, and probably how downright ridiculous, even stupid, the plan sounded when in those terms.

"Now, can you begin to realize the position it would have put you, your people, your realm in?" I inquired, my voice softer than ever since the beginning of our talk. "Let's imagine, for a minute, that Laufey succeeded. That he managed to assassinate the Allfather and then managed to return to Jotunheim without getting discovered and killed by the Asgardian Guards first. What do you think would have happened after that? Do you think Asgard would have just stood back and taken it without some form of retaliation? Even in the extremely insane case that Loki might have chosen not to act against you, there's still Thor…

"He was in exile!" Something called loudly from the side. "Nothing more than a weak mortal lost in a primitive realm."

I turned to the speaker, arching my brow, signaling to myself. A silent reminder of what I had just revealed were my origins. The Jotun didn't reply, just sneered at me.

"The exile was conditional." I pointed out. "By that point in time, when Laufey was attempting to assassinate the Allfather; Prince Thor had already regained his power and birthright and was on his way back to Asgard. Being the firstborn, and with the situation as critical as it would have been with the death of the King, it is likely he would have been asked to step up to the throne, either for Loki and him to act together, or for Thor to take over. And can you imagine the kind of reaction he would have had to Laufey… to Jotunheim, attacking Asgard, assassinating the Allfather in his sleep?"

No one needed to think much on it, the answer was as clear as the ice all around us.

"War." Several voices answered at once, grimly.

"Is that really what you want?" I asked quietly. "For your people? For yourself? Because, let me tell you, that possibility is still very real. You are demanding for Loki's death! Do you really think his family, his chosen family, will stand back and do nothing? They will never allow Loki to die or suffer by your hands, and if you try to press the matter… well, war is the least we will all have to worry about. And considering how bad things are said to have gotten the last time the two realms were in conflict."

I couldn't help the shiver. Myth and even literature might be limited on some fronts; but it wasn't hard to connect some 'mass tragedies' and 'natural disasters' with the time the last war between Asgard and Jotunheim was taking place… and if they'd gotten to Midgard, there was a pretty big chance that it hadn't been the only realm to become collateral… Another such war, and with the resourced Earth had in the twenty-first century… it wouldn't be good, for anyone.

"You've been asking me what is it I want, what is my plan…" I went on, allowing a tired sigh to pass my lips. "Truth is: I do not know. I don't actually have a plan. All I know is what I do not want: war. I don't think any of us really wants that…"

I felt myself almost sagging; all throughout my speech I'd managed to keep myself straight, steady, giving no quarter, showing no vulnerability; but I was tired… Politics had never been my cup of tea, I was only doing all I was because of Loki, because I was willing to do anything for him… I just hoped it would work. I didn't know Helblindi or his people enough to make a guess on how he would react after everything I'd already said.

The heir-apparent of the Jotun throne didn't say a word, apparently waiting for me to offer something before compromising on anything.

"Everything I've seen and read thus far shows that Laufey wanted two things only: Odin's destruction and war with Asgard." I stated as emotionlessly as I could. "He didn't care about his people, and certainly not about his sons: none of them. The question is: what do you want: Lord Helblindi? You are, for all intents and purposes, the next King of Jotunheim. What do you want for your realm? For your people? Would you rather hold Laufey in a pedestal regardless of his faults, try and make him a martyr, a reason to create the war he always wanted? Or would you rather seek the peace and possible good relations he was never interested in? Would you rather please a dead man or a living crowd?"

It didn't get any simpler than that. We had been going around the same thing for at least and hour and, in the end, it was all up to him.

I could feel a shift in the air and from the corner of my eye I could see the slightest shift in Loki's position. None of us had any idea of just how Helblindi would take my words and my match was getting ready to protect me if things got dangerous.

Almost a full minute passed in absolute silence and then, the Jotun Prince spoke.

"Peace." He said solemnly, looking me straight in the eye. "I choose peace."

I only smiled brightly.

When he extended a hand to me I wondered if he had forgotten the danger of his own skin or if it was supposed to be a test. After all, almost anyone in my position would have to risk either insulting and refusing to shake the hand, try and avoid it through some other gesture, or take the burn and just shake the hand. Of course, my situation was quite particular.

Not a word was said when I placed my hand on the Jotun's, too big to actually shake, but still, it was the gesture that mattered. There were a few seconds of silence, as if they were all waiting for something, we learnt what when one of the other Jotun called put:

"Why isn't she burning?!"

I couldn't help it, I laughed.

"You're truly a most intriguing creature, Lady Nightingale." Helblindi said with a charming smile. "Truly an amazing Ambassador and Negotiator, even if you seem a bit new to this political business… And you did say you were a new citizen of Asgard?"

"Very true." I nodded. "And lets just say I have… personal interest in this matter."

"So, not so neutral then?" He inquired, cocking his head to a side.

"I am neutral regarding Asgard." I only half answered the question.

I really wasn't giving him anything more until he made a commitment for peace higher than just saying he wanted it.

He must have seen something in my face, because he nodded and got on his feet, gesturing to someone behind him.

I wasn't too surprised when the same guards who had escorted into the Main Hall guided us to another room, it seemed like an office of some kind. What did surprise me was to find Helblindi and at least one of his closest followers at a size closer to us (or to Loki). While I knew that not all Frost Giants were actually giants, most were still several times the size of a human, Helblindi, being the child of Laufey, in particular. Also, not just any Jotun had the ability to change his size. It told quite a bit about his power, his lineage.

"Lady Nightingale." He nodded in respect to me. "I hope you won't mind that I've taken the liberty to have my own scribe get a treaty ready?"

As he said that he turned the piece of parchment around so I could read it, I could see his signature was already at the bottom, along with his witness's. The calligraphy was very good, and while I'd been doubtful of the conditions that he might have included, in the end the treaty was fairly simple and direct: the situation with Laufey would be put to rest by both realms, allowing for a clean slate. Helblindi would take over as the new King of Jotunheim with the blessing of the Allfather and, in the future, if things went well, Asgard might consider returning the Casket of Ancient Winters…

"I cannot promise the last part." I told him quietly. "If I am perfectly honest, I think it would be good. That Asgard and Jotunheim could learn to coexist peacefully… but the return of the Casket is not something I can negotiate. Though you can be sure I will do my best to intercede in your favor before the Allfather."

"Why would you do that?" The to-be-King asked, honestly curious.

"Because, in the end, we want the same thing, peace for our people, for our realms." I answered with complete honestly.

With a flourish, I signed the treaty.

"As we have apparently finished with the business that brought you here." Helblindi stated, looking straight at me with curiosity. "Will you tell me, Lady Nightingale, what your personal interest is in this matter?"

"Your advisors actually were pretty close." I admitted with a small smile. "They just missed a detail. I am a Bride, only not Thor's. And anyway, my match would have never allowed for me to come in such a mission alone…"

The eyes of all but two people in the room immediately went to the man on my left: Hogun, as he was still standing on full alert. Helblindi, for his part, was looking straight at me, and my hand, as it entwined with the man on my right side.

The moment we touched Loki allowed his disguise to fall, startling everyone except Helblindi, who just watched us quietly.

"Prince Loki…" He muttered in a low voice.

"King Helblindi." Loki nodded respectfully.

"Why am I not surprised?" Helblindi questioned rhetorically before turning to me. "So you are his match then? I suppose that explains your way with words."

"I guess I did learn from the best." I admitted with a shrug.

"I'm surprised you would allow her to negotiate in your behalf…" Helblindi turned to Loki.

"I know better than to try and stop my lady when she really wants something." Loki said honestly with a smirk. "She is no meek little girl, no weakling either."

"She must be someone truly extraordinary to have called your interest." The Jotun King pointed out. "A mortal girl… I guess I've seen some of it today…"

"You've seen but the very tip of the iceberg." Loki said with near-glee. "My Nightingale is the most amazing creature you will ever find… in any world."

"Loki!" I hissed at him as I slapped his arm, unable to hold back my embarrassment anymore.

"I speak only the truth, my match." He assured me with a smirk.

Those words would have sounded ridiculous coming from his mouth at any other time… in that moment I was only embarrassed.

"Indeed she is…" Helbindi muttered, before turning very serious all of a sudden. "If you would follow me please."

Both Loki and I picked up on the change in demeanor, tensing; Hogun picked up on that, getting on guard instantly.

"I promise you I wish nothing bad for you or your lady, brother…" Helblindi began.

There was a hiss around us, which only made the delicate situation, worse.

"Should you be calling me brother after everything that has happened?" Loki inquired, cocking his head sideways in contemplation.

"I realize the bond we share isn't like the one you share with Prince Thor." Helblindi stated. "But we're still brothers, one way or another. And if you consent to the personal favor I wish to ask, even more so."

"My Lord…" His second called, full of doubt.

"This is a personal matter Shakren, I shall not need you, or the guards." The Jotun King told his second before turning to Loki. "Would you consent in following, only you and your lady. I'm afraid my guards might have a problem with me going on my own if any of your guards try to follow us at this point. Not only for my own safety either at this point, as I wish you to follow me into the royal wing…"

That surprised me, either he trusted us a lot, or he was very desperate.

"I am more than enough to protect my match." Loki stated as an answer.

And of course, as I had proven before, I wasn't exactly defenseless.

Hogun didn't even complain when Loki and I followed after Helblindi; he probably knew too that Loki wouldn't need any help if things got hard enough, my beloved had saved him, Thor, Sif and the rest of the Warriors enough times in the past.

It didn't take us long to get to the royal wing of the palace. He bypassed a number of rooms, until we reached the one before last (which, I guessed, was Helbindi's). The room was a nursery, and it wasn't until we were all actually inside that I realized we were walking to a set of furniture in our size (human size).

There, in a dark metal crib we saw a bundle, a baby boy who couldn't be even a year old, with a tuff of inky black hair and piercing crimson and black eyes, burrowed in dark blankets, except for one, a turquoise blue one… he was clearly a Jotun baby, it was obvious in his eyes, and in his cobalt skin and dark markings.

"This is Hákon…" Helblindi announced, caressing the baby's head with a hand. "He's my youngest son…"

"A runt…" Loki said just as quietly.

Indeed. A runt. Just like Loki had been. Except Helblindi hadn't given his son up, he had kept him, the baby must have been at least six months old, Helblindi was at least trying, something Laufey never did for Loki.

"His mother was Merenwen…" Helblindi began.

"The youngest princess of Alfheim." Loki finished for him.

"Yes." Helblindi nodded. "I met her during a business trip. It was supposed to be just a fling…" He turned to me and added. "While it is true that we can give frostbite to others, we can choose not to, if we're relaxed enough. When I offered you my hand I never meant to hurt you; however, I did know that most who know of the possibility of a burn choose not to risk it; you never doubted, just took my hand."

"You cannot hurt me." I revealed to him with a small smile. "I am Loki's match."

Helblindi nodded, as if that was answer enough to all and any questions, and maybe it was.

"Merenwen wasn't my match." The Jotun King stated the obvious. "Like I said already, she was supposed to be a fling, nothing serious. And she knew that. I had a wife before, an arranged union, I have other children, and I've never been interested in tying my existence to someone for all eternity. When Merenwen discovered she was pregnant… things got complicated." He sighed. "I don't know what happened in Alfheim exactly. Merenwen just arrived, in the middle of the night, with her closest handmaiden, pregnant. She was crying, inconsolable. It was Elanor who explained things to me: apparently when Merenwen's parents found she was pregnant with my offspring they took it badly. They wanted to take the baby away, were even willing to sacrifice her when she refused to give up on her child. Elanor helped her princess escape the palace, and then the realm as a whole." He shook his head. "Things only got worse after that. The baby wasn't compatible with Merenwen's body, but still she refused to give up. I honestly don't know how she managed to hold on for as long as she did… She died before she could give birth, but the baby survived long enough inside her for Elanor to get him out. I couldn't give him up after that. I knew Father wouldn't like it if he heard one of my children was a runt, no one would; but I couldn't just give up on Hákon after Merenwen fought so hard so he could live… she gave his life for him, the least I could do was protect him."

It was quite obvious, at least to me, that Helblindi didn't actually love Merenwen; like he said, she was just a fling to him. However, he respected her loyalty, her devotion, both to him and to their child. It was the memory of that devotion that had him protecting a child that, for anyone else in the realm, would be nothing more than an embarrassment.

"I know this is a lot to ask." Helblindi stated right then, seriously and softly. "But thing is: Hákon deserves a life, a good life. And I am honest enough with myself to know he will never get it here. No matter how much I may try to protect him, in the end, he's a runt, and that won't help him here in Jotunheim."

"You want us to take him." Loki finished for him.

"I believe you are the right people for him." The King didn't bother trying to surgarcoat it. "The ones who can give him the life he deserves. You understand what it means to be what he is, Loki, and your lady… if anyone can protect him and raise him right, make sure he's the best he could ever be, I'm sure she could do it."

"I am sure." Loki agreed.

Right then, as if by magic, Hákon began fussing, it looked like he might begin wailing at any moment. I reacted before I was fully conscious of what I was doing. In a second I scooped the baby out of his cocoon of blankets, leaving him only with the turquoise one, cradling him in my arms, pressing his blue cheek to my pink one. I could feel the coldness in his skin, which reminded me a lot of Loki's, I only cooed at him slightly before rocking a bit, side to side, soothing him as best I could.

I don't know when I closed my eyes, but when I opened them again the two Jotun brothers were looking at me; one with curiosity, the other with a knowing glint; and behind them: a tall woman, willowy body with alabaster skin and long dirty blonde hair, she was dressed in several layers of tunic, dress, leggings and a shawl, all in shades of green and brown; I guessed she must be Lady Elanor: Merenwen's handmaiden and friend, who had stayed in Jotunheim after her lady's death to take care of Hákon, probably the only one who would, aside from Helbindi… and there was also a chance that she had no other home anymore. If Alfheim had really been that against Merenwen having the baby, and Jotunheim in general… Elanor had given up everything for her lady, and been left with nothing but a baby Helblindi expected us to take away.

Loki followed my line of sight, seeing the same I did. I could almost see the cogs moving in his brain as he came to the same conclusion I did.

"We will take Hákon." He announced out-loud, talking to Helblindi but looking straight at the handmaiden and nanny.

We could both see the moment Elanor winced just slightly and her eyes dimed. She was going to lose everything, and yet she wouldn't complain.

"Would you like to come with us?" He offered her then.

Considering how Helblindi turned to look over his shoulder, it was obvious he hadn't been expecting that; I wondered if he never thought about Elanor, or what he thought would happen if we just took Hákon.

"Me?" Elanor obviously wasn't expecting that.

"We're still working on choosing my lady's handmaidens." Loki justified. "We were only bound a few days ago, and it won't be official until the feast, two days from now. And you would be able to continue caring for Hákon."

"You would allow that?" She seemed so hopeful it was almost painful.

"It would be my honor to have you there." I assured her with a smile, still holding Hákon close. "After all, who best to teach me to be a good mother to Hákon than the woman who's loved and cared for him since he was born?"

"I will be honored." Elanor agreed.

Just like that, a new sort of agreement was formed, between us, between Jotunheim; a pact far stronger than any written treaty…

xXx

The feast took place as planned. Things had changed just slightly. Loki had gone to Helheim to get his daughter for the event. It had been nerve-wrecking for me to meet my adopted daughter for the first time. And yet, she had accepted me straight on, arms wide open, almost immediately asking if she could call me mom… it moved me. Loki explained to me through our bond that the woman who had given birth to Hel had never been the mother she should have been, could have been; and Loki himself admitted to not have been a good father either, he had been so young, too young to understand the kind of pain he was causing his child at the time. A pain they had, surprisingly, managed to move past five years before…

It was something shocking to me, to learn that I was the reason Loki and Hel had made up, had finally become the father-daughter duo they were supposed to be. When I'd been dying from the cancer Loki had gone to Hel, willing to plead for her help in any way possible, a chance to help save my life… Hel had been unable to do anything herself, but in the end it had been her who had convinced Loki to take the risk and try to create the deamarkonian. So, in a sense, one could even say I owed Hel my life…

In the end, regardless of the past, I loved my adopted daughter as much as I loved my adopted son. Some people did not understand it but, for someone like I, who spent almost my whole life, believing I would never get the chance to be a mother, what's worse, that I was likely to die long before I ever got the chance to be a mother… a child, being the chance to be a mother, even to a child not of my womb, was the greatest blessing. Also, I had never been one to believe that a child needed to be of your blood to be truly yours (would have seemed a bit hypocritical, trying to convince Loki to accept his adopted family, that there was no difference, they were real, if I thought differently).

Things had changed, with me being a citizen of Asgard, an immortal. The Royal Healers believed that Idunn's apples were slowly pushing back the leukemia; there was no way of knowing if they would ever fully heal it. In any case, neither Loki nor I had any plans on taking the deamarkonian off any time soon. It's not like they would make any difference anymore, we were bound in so many ways, with or without the bracelets, we would still live and die together.

Another detail that surprised most was the inclusion of Elanor as my handmaiden, though her main duty wasn't to me but to Hákon. My logic had held though, she had been looking after Hákon ever since he was born in December, no one knew that baby better than her, it was likely that not even Helblindi. Loki had even arranged a charmed bracelet for her that allowed her to hold Hákon even when he lost control of his own power and reverted to Jotun form (which didn't happen very often, the baby had taken an Aesir form, guided by Loki, when we first arrived to Asgard after the treaty).

Elanor had been accepted in Asgard as a Royal guest, she wasn't a citizen, and wasn't especially interested in being either. Her race weren't immortal, though they did live for millennia, and aged quite slowly after reaching their prime. Elanor didn't need to ask for asylum, as no one from Alfheim was after her, they simply didn't seem interested in her anymore.

The feast ended and the true party started. Elanor left with Hákon so the baby could sleep, the rest of us stayed. There was some dancing, and a lot of talking. Everyone seemed interested in 'the mortal girl who had called the attention of the colder of the two princes' (and they weren't talking about him being Jotun). Then there were those interested in me for being the 'new goddess' (apparently that didn't happen very often).

Loki being a Jotun was another detail of interest. Someone (an Elder in fact, but he didn't know that we knew) had leaked the truth of Loki's origins, expecting to either make the Aesir hate him, or make him react violently, therefore getting the chance to punish him for something (he hated that I had taken that chance away through the 'Trial by Combat).

In the end, we faced the truth head on. And to prove that neither of us was afraid of it the four of us had gone to the market the following day, with Thor, Sif and the Warriors. We'd had a lot of fun and when Hákon got fussy (the heat was getting to him) and accidentally reverted to Jotun form, Loki simply shifted as well to help him cool down. The fact that neither of us reacted negatively to the change, and that I'd taken the still blue baby into my arms after a few minute seemed to be enough to convince most of those looking at us that there was nothing wrong, nothing extraordinary, about my husband and my kid being different.

We weren't really expecting for the Aesir to suddenly be completely willing to accept the Jotun as equals, but we at least hoped they would be less confrontational.

Loki and I were standing in a corner, and I was sipping on a goblet of what I was told was Asgardian wine. I was being careful, not wanting to risk any excesses, I'd never been one for alcoholic drinks (didn't like any, on Earth), but the Asgardian wine was very sweet, nothing like the beer, or the wines I'd tasted at some point on my home-realm. My love had promised to make sure I wouldn't get drunk, the last thing I needed was to make a fool of myself the day I was being introduced as the new princess of Asgard.

Loki was trying to convince me mentally to skip off, while I kept thinking that, since the feast was technically in our honor we should stay till it ended.

"Well, there is one question almost everyone in the room seems to share." Sif announced as she approached us along with Thor.

"Why Loki chose me?" I inquired.

"Or how she can stand me?" My love finished with a smirk.

Thor let out a loud laugh at that.

"No, though the second at least is a very good question." Sif replied cheekily. "No, the main question seems to be regarding the name. Everyone seems to have heard that you weren't born Nightingale, so, why the name?"

The way my love turned to look at me in that moment said enough about what he expected to happen next. I just nodded my agreement.

"She can show them." He announced simply.

Everything was set up for me to sing quite quickly. Lord Odin bid me to stand on the dais where the thrones were located. He, Lady Frigg and Thor were seating on their places, while Loki chose to stand beside me; which served me just fine. Everyone might be about to hear me sing, but I was still going to sing to no one but him…

My love arranged a rather simple spell that made the instruments follow my voice, giving the right kind of music to the song. So I began humming, marking the initial rhythm, quietly enough so no one but Loki heard me, and yet they all heard the music; then the song truly began:

"I'll give my all or not at all

There's no in-between

I'll give my best, won't second guess

This feelin' deep in me…"

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

Sif might have claimed that there was one primary question among the people present, and that it was related to my name. However, both Loki and I had heard one other; not as much as the one mention by Sif; but that might be because only those who had been present during my test could make the question: and they all were: they were all questioning how I could have passed what was supposed to be an impossible test.

The answer was pretty simple to me, to both of us, yet I knew none of us would ever give it to them, because there was just no way they would understand. The answer was trust. For us it was a matter of trust; we trusted each other. Loki had trusted me to pass the test, had placed his life in my hands; then, during the test itself, he had trusted that I knew my own limits, that if I believed I could take it and be alright, I would. I had trusted Loki to allow me to do the test, to not interrupt, to believe in me and in what I knew I could endure. It was a level of trust not many people would understand, and I doubted the Elders would, just like they couldn't understand us using the Ancient Vows to commit to each other for all eternity… For them that kind of trust, of love, was unreal; for us, it was as easy as breathing, it was what we were.

"You fill me up with your love

Oh I just overflow

When we touch, can't get enough

And I want you to know…"

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

Loki took advantage of a break in the song to spin me around in his arms, I couldn't help the string of giggles that passed my lips. I was still in his arms, my feet a few inches of the ground when I added a soft yeah to the music sounding in the back. After that my Maverick just refused to let me go, making me sing the last chorus from his arms.

"You make me want to love you

With every breath I'll love you, (oh) endlessly

I'll give my heart, give my soul

I won't hold back, I'll give you everything

All of me, completely…"

xXx

One more week passed before we could all make the trip back to Midgard; but Lord Odin wanted to capitalize on the positive reaction people seemed to be having thus far to the revelation that Loki was, in fact, Jotun. It wasn't all perfect, some people, especially older males, warriors, probably even some who had been involved in the last war against Jotunheim reacted quite negatively to my match, all from cold looks to veiled threats, to outright promises of violence if he got too close; a handful even tried to attack. But the attacks were always neutralized before they could hurt anyone, and Loki held himself back in retaliating. And while that didn't actually change the opinions of those attacking him in the first place, at least helped witnesses consider the possibility of things not being as black and white as they might have believed.

Thor was always there to support us, reaffirming his bond to his brother, his trust in him. It also helped when the two met with the Elders and Lord Odin. Thor's position as crown prince was reaffirmed and then Thor asked for Loki to be named, officially, as his future Head Advisor. The decision didn't sit very well with some of the younger Elders, those who probably were hoping to gain positions of importance when the prince finally got to be king. Odin and Frigg, for their part, seemed particularly proud. I was too, and so very happy, my love was finally being given the recognition he deserved. He wasn't in line for the throne, and would never be unless Thor appointed him as guardian of the throne, or a steward of sorts, were he to not be available, but like Loki had said time and again, the throne had never truly been his ambition. It just wasn't his style, no matter what others might believe; being Head Advisor was more for him. But the real important thing was, and would always be, knowing that he was appreciated, valued, and that his family was proud of him.

Finally, two weeks after our arrival to Asgard, and three after the whole mess had begun (and I'd last seen Loki the day of my last class in Norwich University), Loki, Thor and I could finally get Heimdall to send us back to Midgard; Elanor and Hákon would be joining us after we had made sure it was safe. While Loki could have used the Shadow Paths, we were doing an official visit; Thor wanted to see Jane again, and I was looking forward to seeing my aunt too; we were also supposed to meet with Agent Coulson and whoever his bosses might be to arrange a working relationship. Thor had declared Midgard to be under his protection, and that was one statement that needed to be followed on.

I wasn't surprised to find a structure had been built around the landing site (considering how fast they'd built the base around Mjolnir…). Thor didn't like much when one of the underlings that met us told him that Jane wasn't on site, though Loki and I considered it a good precaution; Jane Foster was their most valuable asset, the one who had the information related to Asgard and actually understood it. There was no way they would allow her to stay all the time in a site where there was the risk an enemy would make landfall at any time (they didn't need to know that Loki didn't have such constraints and if he ever became their enemy they would never see him coming, would likely not know a thing until it was all said and done).

We hadn't been sitting in the mirrored interrogation room for even three minutes when none other than Agent Coulson stepped inside. He looked over Thor briefly, if he was surprised at all about Loki's presence he didn't show it, and then he fixed on me…

"Professor Salani." He greeted me with a nod. "So good to have you back."

"It will be Professor Salani-Hveðrungr, soon." I revealed with an impish smile.

"I see." He turned to Loki. "Wife of Luka Hveðrungr…"

Loki and I did a double-take, we hadn't expected him to know that; yet we managed to recover quite fast, continuing the conversation as if it were nothing.

"Technically we're already married under Asgardian law." I told him easily. "But we plan to make it legal here as well. It wouldn't do to have people whisper behind our backs, about the couple living together in sin… and what would they saw about our son?!"

Coulson coughed a bit, it was obvious we had really caught him by surprise with that little tidbit; it was enough to make Loki and I chuckle in return.

"I am actually quite surprised that you've managed to get my alias, Agent." Loki revealed as he looked the man up and down. "I didn't think I'd left anything so much as resembling a trail."

"You didn't." Coulson admitted. "It was mostly a… coincidence of sorts."

That just made us all the more curious.

"Professor, you have in your power a black jade dizi flute, do you not?" Coulson inquired.

I just nodded. It was, in fact, inside a cloth bag tied to my waist, it, along with the small bag with the healing vials were the kind of things I always carried with me.

"In fact, you played it for a concert the Norwich University organized a couple of years ago to collect funds for the local orphanage." Coulson went on. "And not only that, but you also allowed the flute to be placed in a showing case for a week. You know the worth of that instrument."

"I know." I nodded quite calmly. "Though, to me, its personal value is higher than any a museum might put on it."

"One of my agents is a bit into trivia games." Coulson was really going into tangents, one could only hope he got to the point eventually. "He knew how rare dizi flutes made of stone are, particularly ones that are actually tuned correctly. We did some research on the matter. All historical pieces are either in museums or in the hands of specialized collectors. And yet… there was one piece that wasn't historical at all, having been created less than a decade ago, by one who is, perhaps, the best craftsman in all of Asia." He actually smiled. "There was no real paper trail, as the piece had been paid for in cash, with a considerable tip to account for the oddity of the project and its quick delivery. However, as it was something that took some days to be created, there was a name in the file: Luka Hveðrungr."

"You truly have done your homework Agent, I'm proud." Loki declared, only half joking. "You know who I am, who we all are. What do you plan on doing about it?"

"First I would like to know what your plans might be." Coulson said in return. "Thor might have stated a wish to take our planet under his protection… but I remember quite clearly that just two weeks ago you seemed pretty intent on having us all killed… and yet, for the last eight years you've getting along famously with a girl from this same planet…"

"What happened in the course of that week is regretful, though I have to admit it was in no way related to the Earth." Loki admitted uncomfortably. "The situation in Asgard was more than a little delicate, it had a lot of us on edge. I've always been known for unorthodox methods to solve problems, but it got out of control and your realm ended up paying the price. Still, I can assure you that aside from the direct confrontation between the Destroyer and my brother, in no moment was there any lethal intent in anything I did. Even then the intent wasn't lethal, things just, like I said, got terribly out of hand."

It was one way of putting it, and Coulson might not like it, but even he had to admit that no one had died; in the end, not even Thor.

"We all wish for the same thing here, Son of Coul." Thor spoke for the first time. "To live in this realm, to enjoy its pleasures and protect it from its possible grievances." He made a pause to consider before adding. "You may just see Loki as the one behind a lot of what happened during those days… but there were a lot more players involved, and the stakes were a lot higher than you could possibly imagine. Also, my brother is a lot more: he's a sorcerer, a trickster, a strategist… if you allow us to reside in this realm, with all of you, peacefully, you will have the best allies you could possibly wish for."

"Not like I can stop you if you truly want to stay here." Coulson muttered in a low tone. "I've seen what you're all capable of."

"I would really prefer to live my life in peace, and without having to look over my shoulder every minute." I interjected with a twist of my mouth. "It would be very inconvenient, and not the best environment to raise a family, or two…"

Thor just chuckled lowly at the reminder of his Jane, of conversations they still needed to have, I just hoped he wouldn't ruin it, trying to make decisions for her.

"The universe just keeps getting weirder and weirder…" Coulson muttered in a low tone with a resigned sigh. "First Stark becoming a freaking superhero, then that doctor going all green and huge in anger, Captain America, mutants, and of course, now freaking gods as well! Just what are we all coming to?!"

When he put it all like that it really sounded like something was coming. Something big… maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to be around and ready to help when things came to a head.

"In any case, you now might be able to keep them for making everyone crazy." Coulson decided as he opened the door of the interrogation room, leading us out. "I swear if they keep at it much longer everyone in this base will file either a stressed out report or want to take their vacation time at the same damn time!"

"They…?" I didn't understand what was going on now.

For a couple of seconds I was distracted. Apparently someone had gotten Jane during our 'very interesting interview' with Coulson; and the reunion between the scientist and the blonde god was intense enough to bother some of the people watching them. Loki and I just chuckled… wonder what they would say if they were ever to see us… I'm not exactly an exhibitionist, but with my love's mile-wide mischievous streak… who knows?

"Nicholas if you're purposefully being difficult to keep my niece away from me, so help me God I swear I will shoot you!" I heard a harsh female voice call loudly a few feet away.

"Your threats are useless." A deep male voice replied. "You forget you haven't been an agent for almost twenty years. I, on the other hand… well, you've seen where I am."

"Oh, I have, and it means as little to me as seeing you as a newbie thirty years ago did." The female hissed back at him. "Besides, shooting isn't that complicated, like riding a bike…"

"My Nightingale?" Loki asked quietly, noticing my attention was away from him.

"I could swear I recognize that voice, but it cannot be…" I whispered, disbelief coloring my voice even as I searched with my eyes.

As it turned out, it was more than possible. As I stepped forward I could see behind a half wall enough to notice just who were the ones talking: a tall, broad-shouldered black man with no hair and a patch covering one eye; arguing with a tall, lithe brunette woman I knew almost as well as I knew myself… well, I thought I knew her until that moment.

"Aunt Kathryn?!" I called out in shock.

"Silbhé!" She immediately spun in my direction, hurrying to me. "You're here. You're alright." She embraced me tightly. "I'm so happy to see you again darling."

"Auntie, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused by that part. "You said you were giving me a month to get things sorted."

"So you did know!" The black man hissed as if I had confessed to some great crime.

"That was until I saw the news, what happened to Puente Antiguo!" My aunt deadpanned. "Then I took the first plane available and began harassing anyone I could on your whereabouts."

I could feel Loki's mix of guilt and sheepishness at the reminder of that particular fact.

"We were quite shocked." The black man interjected. "We never knew Professor Salani to be in any way connected to former Agent Adler…"

"I haven't been Adler in sixteen years, I told you that already Nicholas." My aunt hissed back at him, before choosing to ignore him instead.

I wondered just where they knew each other from, though that part I could guess; what I was really wondering about was the connection between them, it seemed almost… personal…

"Nick Fury." The man introduced himself to me right then. "Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, S.H.I.E.L.D. for short. I have a few questions for you Professor Salani."

"I already answered everything pertinent to Agent Coulson." I told him in an almost bored tone. "And by the way, the name is soon to be Professor Salani-Hveðrungr."

That actually seemed to take Fury by surprise, one my Aunt capitulated on, as she took hold of my arm, pulling me with her. I barely managed to react in time to take a hold of Loki, pulling him with us, to several people's confusion and glee.

"Nightingale!" He cried out in surprise even as he followed.

"Come on Loki, Thor will be getting all mushy with Jane and my aunt is as good as my mom, I want her to meet you!" I told him.

That seemed to be enough to convince him as he stopped struggling (even if it had been mostly a joke) and actively followed after us.

xXx

Two weeks more later, on the 11th of June, I walked through the stage to receive my diplomas, officially attaining my masteries in all three areas. I was Magna Cum Laude in two of them and just Cum Laude in the third and already had several job offers from Norwich University as well as some others I had attended for additional programs during the summers and for the semester I spent in Europe. I turned all of them down, claiming to have other interests (not like I could tell them I was planning on working for a secret government organization focused on protecting the world from superhuman and extraterrestrial threats…)

After thinking about it for a while Loki and I had decided to hold our wedding the night before the graduation. It had been a simple ceremony, in the beautiful gardens of Salani mansion. My father had actually arrived a whole day early for my graduation (I later found out it was no accident, my aunt found him when I failed to, informed him I was getting married). If he was surprised or confused by the fact that I was getting married to a man he'd never met, he didn't show it. Then again, it's not like he could complain, we hadn't really been a family in years; and it's not like I'd seen his new wife more than a handful of times before he married her!

Hákon was introduced to everyone as Loki's son from a previous relationship. It was stated that the mother had died in birth and Elanor (who had taken the alias of Eleanor Vesper) was a nurse specialized in childcare who had been helping him take care of the baby all along, I'd decided to keep her in our employment since I was a new mother and was afraid to make mistakes, besides, there would be the need a babysitter for my new son whenever work got too hard for Loki and I to keep him with us

Loki's alias had gained a background, as a Scandinavian millionaire and scholar, he would be working for S.H.I.E.L.D. too. In fact, only Coulson, Fury, Thor, Jane, Darcy and Erik even knew who Loki, Thor and I really were (though none of them actually knew just yet that I was technically a goddess, having passed the test).

That evening Loki and I were standing in the middle of the rose patch of my garden, swaying slowly to music only we could hear. Elanor was inside with Hákon, probably both already asleep, in the room that had been set as a temporary nursery (we would be moving to New Mexico to work with Jane and her team).

"It's been some crazy days, hasn't it?" I commented at some point. "Though most would argue it's been more like an insane month."

"May you live in interesting times…" My maverick quoted with a sigh as he embraced me from behind, holding me tightly around my waist.

"Not sure they had this kind of thing in mind when that quote was written." I pointed out with a small not-quite-sane chuckle as I rested my head on his chest. "Anyway, but it still fits. It doesn't get any more interesting than this…"

"You know, just for that, things are going to get even more 'interesting' in the future." Loki pointed out with a smirk.

I could feel the smirk as he kissed my shoulder.

I sighed. I was true, I had jinxed us… at least I had him we had each other. We were both gods, immortals, together… we could handle anything as long as we were together… and we also had a wonderful family and friends backing us up, that was important too.

"Come what may…" Loki was either hearing my thoughts, or his just were running down the same paths. "Together forever. Mo Anam Cara."

"Together forever." I agreed wholeheartedly. "Mo Anam Cara."

There, beneath the moonlight, in between the roses, in the very spot where we'd met for the first time eight years prior… we sealed that promise with a kiss.

Finito! Hope you liked it. Please don't forget to review. Please. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't, and especially what you would like to see in other AUs or even in the main storyline.

For those interested, Future Plans: Well, I will be watching the new Thor movie soon (Yay! More Loki!), the plot in it will be the main focus on the sequel to Nightingale (the actual sequel, aside from the AUs and sidestories). I hope it will give me the inspiration to work on the sidestories I'm missing (the ones that will take place in between Nightingale and its sequel), and then, when I either get the movie in my PC or at least a script, I will get working on the actual sequel. For those actually interested in the AUs (which, granted, I know aren't many). I have ideas for, at least, three more: one focused on the Avengers movie, only with a very different Nightingale... one that hasn't been in contact with Loki for years and doesn't remember him at all... still, the bonds are there; the other will be my version of the 'Avengers watch movies' thing, with only Thor and Avengers being used, and my own Nightingale-spin. (Please tell me your ideas, your opinions, they're greatly appreciated). The other AU is one that is almost fully written already, a very different take on the aftermath of the Thor movie, and obviously Avengers... I won't give details on that, except to let you know I will be dealing with a lot of characters that have barely been in my previous fics, or not at all! Also, I would like your opinion on my using Coulson's team from the AoS series... (the team, and maybe the basic of the show, but not much of it because I'm not going to wait for it to be over before continuing writing!).

So, that's that for now! See ya in two or three weeks!