Frost & Fire

Chapter 11 (Loki)

I thought about what she'd said and said "I guess you're right. I could have just let you come back and not known who the person was that was behind it and then he could have killed you in the palace when our guard was down." We glared at one another. "I am sorry I resorted to those methods, but it was either let you come back and possibly get killed because we didn't know who we could trust or take care of the problem once and for all."

"You still should have known how I'd feel knowing you resorted to those tactics to learn it. What kind of example are we setting if we continue doing things like that and make them fear us instead of respect us?" She was beating the pancake mix exceptionally hard as she spoke. "That's going to make us just like Laufey, just like the rest of them. I thought we were going to rule differently."

"We will Kitten. I truly am sorry, but I couldn't let the person responsible get away with it. He ordered you kidnapped, tried to kill you, and left you to rot in a dungeon with others he decided to have taken. What was I supposed to do? Offer him tea and cookies and hope he told me the truth?"

"I mean that is one way-"

"Shut up Fandral!" We both shouted at the same time. The blonde ducked down with his hands up in surrender while Lady Sif chuckled beside him.

Abby looked down at the food she was preparing and sighed. "Okay, so that might not have worked, but couldn't you have offered him some sort of deal? Like they do here where he would've gotten immunity for turning in the person he worked for?"

"Honestly Kitten because we Jotuns value strength above all else if he would have given the information up that easily he would have been an outcast, he'd have been treated worse than some of your slaves were here on Midgard. So I didn't think to offer that because I don't know a single one of us who would have accepted that offer. I swear I won't do it again, I'll swear on a stack of your Bibles if that would help."

"Wouldn't that burn or something? Touching another religion's holy book? Plus the fact that you're a god, doesn't that do something to you when you do something like that?" Tony asked.

"No, I've touched that thing before and had no issue with it."

Abby finished taking eggs off of the griddle and set them on a big plate for everyone to pick from. "I don't like it, I really don't. But I guess we have no choice but to hope that you're telling the truth."

I hated that there was this rift between us now. Truthfully I didn't want to torture Engir, but with how frost giants are there was no other option. I just hoped I would be able to make her see that it was a one time thing. After all she was okay with whatever force I needed to use to kill those who'd kept her and the others hostage so why would I think she wouldn't be okay with torturing him to keep her safe. Instead I just said "I guess you're right."

Everyone around seemed to understand there was tension between us that they didn't want to mess with and kept their mouths shut. We ate in silence for a while before Volsgtagg said "This is excellent food Abigail. If you cook like this everyday I might have to stick around this house." We all laughed at that, what he said was true, and he knew his food since he did his best to eat everyone out of house and home.

After breakfast I tried to wrap my arms around her as she was rinsing dishes and she pulled away, telling me she was really pissed off. "Would you like some help with the dishes Kitten?"

She shrugged and I tried to help but ended up mainly just getting in the way. I stepped back and let her finish the dishes while I tried figuring out what exactly I could do to help. Once she was finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher I tried to make her some tea the way she liked it and she looked at it first as if it was a snake ready to bite her.

"I promise you Kitten it's just tea with honey and creamer."

She took it and started towards the patio out back, as I followed I tried to focus on how I could help fix this situation.

When we got to the patio Abby went to one of the chairs, a single chair not the two seater that was a little ways away, and sat down. I took a seat on another of the chairs while she sipped her tea. "You know it'll be a little while till I can try the unit out."

I nodded.

"Once we know it works for me we are going back, and I'm going to prove to you I don't need you to return to those old ways to keep me safe. Do you understand me?"

Again I nodded. She was much more assertive today and while I liked her being this way, I also knew I had to keep that promise if I wanted her to stay. There was an undercurrent there that told me if I did that again there was a chance it would damage our relationship irreparably. "I understand you Kitten. I just hope I can prove to you that I won't be that man anymore."

"I hope so too." She said sipping more of her tea.