All Over Again (Sequel to Wanted Man)

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Asgard was unchanged, as always and Heimdall stood at his post, smiling as Loki and McKenna stepped out of the Bifrost. "Welcome home, Loki. Lady McKenna. Master Selig."

McKenna smiled at Heimdall. "It feels like we were just here."

Loki shifted Selig to his other arm. "Because we were."

"Loki, good to see you." Thor came striding into the chamber. "We need to speak at once."

"Can I at least get settled?" Loki winced as Selig squirmed away from him. He bent to set Selig down, and the toddler promptly raced toward his uncle. "Unca Thor!"

Thor crouched to scoop him up. "I thought I heard a rumor you were going to be visiting us!"

McKenna glanced over at Loki, who was rubbing his forehead with one hand. He looked even more exhausted than he had before they left for Asgard. She came up behind him and slipped her hand into his, then waited. To her relief, he gave a gentle squeeze, grazing her thumb with his.

"Are you all right?" she murmured as they followed Thor and Selig out of Heimdall's chambers into the bright Asgardian sunlight.

"I'm tired. That's all."

"I know. You look terrible."

"Thank you."

"Loki, wait." She tugged on his arm to make him stop.

As he did, Thor also stopped. "Is something wrong, Loki?"

"No. You and Selig go on ahead. I'm certain the Allfather would like to see him," Loki replied, waving them off. "McKenna and I will be there in a bit."

Thor nodded. "Of course. We'll be in the Throne Room."

With that, he turned and resumed his long-legged stride toward one of the two waiting horses. He and Selig mounted Thor's white stallion, and Selig's shrieks of joy echoed all along the Bifrost as Thor urged the horse into a trot.

Loki turned back to her, and she caught his free hand in hers as well. "Please talk to me, Loki. What's going on?"

"I told you—"

"I know, you haven't been sleeping well. But why won't you tell me why?"

"Because it's something that happened long before we met and—"

She took a deep breath and interrupted with, "When you fell from this realm?"

Her heart hammered loudly against her ribs as Loki pressed his lips together and his face went even paler than usual. Something gleamed in his eyes, but she wasn't sure what that something was. All she knew was that the air around them was suddenly thick with uncomfortable tension and she had the feeling she should never have asked.

But then, he let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping as he said, "Yes. Trust me, McKenna, you don't want to know what happened."

"Yes, I do. God, I hate seeing you like this." Just beyond the edge of the Bifrost, where Loki's black gelding waited patiently for them, was a green, lush and peaceful, with several golden benches scattered about.

She led him to one, and tugged him down to sit beside her. "Please tell me what happened."

He sank onto the bench, his long legs sprawled out across the green, and folded his arms over his chest as he sighed again. "McKenna—"

"Loki, what happened?" She rested her hand on his arm, right at the crook of his elbow. The chill from him seeped into her fingers, spread up into her hand. For a minute, she thought he was going to pull away, but he didn't.