No More Tears

Not One Step...

"I swear to you, Brother, if you let me down this time, if you try any of your tricks, it will be the last time." Thor looked at Loki, his features set like stone.

Loki smirked. This was so like his oaf of a brother. He never took anything as seriously as the defence of Midgard.  Especially that little shrew Jane Foster. The memory of that slap, which he actually quite enjoyed, made him smirk again.

"Are you listening, Reindeer Games?"

Loki became aware that someone else was speaking now. Dragging his bored mind back to the present, he realised it was Tony Stark.  Defacto bankroller for the Avengers.  How was it he described himself? Oh yes, genius playboy philanthropist. Not the boss, though. Oh no, that was Fury. The only man that Loki had any real regard for.

But Fury wasn't here. He was off somewhere with Rogers, tracking down another Super Soldier. So, in the meantime, Stark thought he should do the heavy lifting.

"What. Yes. Please, do enlighten me, Stark. I'm sure whatever you have to say will be absolutely riveting." Sarcasm dripping from his tongue, Loki half bowed in a mock show of deference.

There was a quiet snigger from the other side of the room, and several pairs of eyes swivelled to look at its source.  "What? It was funny!" Natasha Romanoff to her friends, Black Widow to her enemies, shrugged. "Just 'cos he killed 80 people in two days doesn't mean he can't be funny."

She got up and stalked out of the room.  "I'm going outside. I can't breathe for all the testosterone flying about in here."

The door closed with a resounding thump, and Tony turned back to Loki.

"Now you listen to me Prince of Darkness, one more step over that line I just signed you up to, and I swear, you'll be back in Asgard's Dungeon quicker than you can flash that green ectoplasm of yours. And this time, there will be no parole.  Ever. You got it?"

Loki nodded, for once he took it seriously. Even he knew that a lifetime in the prisons of Asgard would be far less than pleasant.  Far less.  Midgard, for all its faults, was at least a modicum of freedom.  London was a pleasant alternative to New York, for obvious reasons.

"Oh, and last but not least, I expect you to fully cooperate with us in every respect.  If we need you, you're there. If we ask you a question, you better have the answer before we finish the sentence. And you will, I repeat, WILL liaise with our agent every week.  Without fail.

"Like probation, you mean?" Loki said without any sarcasm, sitting at the table and looking at them all.

"Exactly like probation."

"Fine."

"Look, if you would just shut..." Tony stopped mid sentence, "I'm sorry? Did you just agree with me?"

"Yes."

"Right.  Ok.  So, well, we'll be going.  Your probation officer will be in touch to arrange your first meeting." Tony shot a glance at Thor who just shrugged.  

They left Loki sitting in his apartment, Thor being last to the door.  He paused, sighed and then turned and looked at Loki, walking slowly back to him.

"Despite what you might think, I do still care, brother. That's why you're here."
Thor put a hand on his shoulder and looked at his little brother. Even he, with his blunt way of dealing with the world saw the pain in Loki's eyes. "I miss her too, Loki. She would want us to help each other. Not fight."

They looked at each other for a moment, sharing a mutual grief that neither could fully express.  Then the shutters came down again, and Loki sneered, turning away.

"Mother would be so proud, eh? Proud of a son who thinks more of Midgard than Asgard and proud of an ADOPTED son who is the stuff of children's nightmares. Go on, get out.  Go play with your friends. I'm fine on my own. I always have been."  bitterness coloured his voice and Thor sighed, visibly sagging under the relentless barrage. Thor shook his head. So stubborn, so independent. Loki was more like their mother than he would ever realise.

Loki turned away and stared out his window over the city.  

Closing the door gently, Thor left him to his thoughts.

Loki wandered the apartment in an effort to distract himself.  It didn't work. He was alone with his tortured thoughts every bit as much as if he'd been in a dungeon.  The only difference was this prison had more daylight.   He sighed and decided to go for a walk.

He wasn't under house arrest, he just had to be within a 2 mile radius at all times. He wore a sensor that alerted Stark immediately. Even his magic couldn't deactivate it.  He'd already tried, hence today's little house call. 

Changing from his Asgardian armour into something less conspicuous, he left the apartment and went downstairs. Setting out for the local park, he took a deep breath.  Maybe this wouldn't be so hard.  London in spring was really quite pretty.

Now, what else could he do to merge in with his surroundings? A man just walking, especially when he was as tall and striking as Loki, would attract attention.

As he walked out the front door, he caught sight of himself and smiled.  The hair colour and the beard had been a final touch.  So very different. As he closed the door, he bent down, and in a flash of green, a small spaniel appeared.  Who knew, owning one of these things might even be fun.  He did miss Fenrir after all...

Susie sat on the bench , her eyes full of tears, her heart full of sorrow. She missed her Mum. It had been almost 12 months. It had been too long. As she looked across the park, they loved to walk in, memories came flooding back. Walking arm in arm, chatting, laughing oh so much laughing. She missed it all.

Now, on her first day back in the city, it had all been too much. She had persuaded herself that taking a job here was a good idea. She leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Hands covering her face, the pent-up emotion held carefully in place since the funeral, came flooding silently out. For a moment, she sat, surrounded yet oh so alone.  She longed for a hug, for a touch of a hand.

Slowly, as she calmed again, she felt a hot breath on her hands, wiping her eyes, she became aware of a little brown dog at her feet, holding a tennis ball in his mouth. As he saw her look at him, he dropped the ball and licked her hand enthusiastically.

Despite her sorrow, his infectious joy made her smile.

"Hello Bud" she said quietly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "You're a happy chap. You want to play?"  The little dog yipped and stood up, wagging his tail.  Just as she was about to pick up the ball, she heard a voice followed by running footsteps.

"There you are, you little devil! Leave the poor woman alone. She doesn't want you annoying her! I'm so very sorry he... " The figure reached her and Susie looked up, tears still staining her face. "Oh my, are you ok?" . 

Her breath stopped in her chest.

She was looking up into the concerned eyes of not just any passer by walking his dog, but the single most handsome passer by she had ever seen.  His eyes were blue green and his smile was like summer. Warm and gentle.

"I'm ok, thanks.  Just a little overwhelmed. It's been a bit... trying lately. " she stood up, rubbing her eyes with her hands. "I should be going. Thanks for stopping." She smiled and he laid a hand on her arm.

"Would - would a cup of tea help?" The stranger asked gently.  She smiled and nodded. For some reason, she felt they had a mutual understanding of grief. It was as if he could see inside her head, see what made her tick.

As they walked to the little tea stall at the corner of the park, next to the gates, they chatted quietly.  She sat on a bench as he fetched the drinks.  Waiting to be served, he mulled over the events of the last few minutes. Looking over, he smiled at his new acquaintance.  

There was something about her, something more than her obvious tears, that made him actually feel sorry for her.  In fact, he knew exactly what made him feel sorry for her, he could see it in her head. In spite of his usual sneering, suspicious nature, he wanted to help her. Perhaps, in time, they could help each other.

Midgard, he thought, might not be so bad after all.