(Author's Note: Final chapter people. More notes at the end. And now for something slightly different.)

In the following months, Loki barely spoke to any of us. He spent most of his time shut up in his room reading something or another. Father had restored his immortality and his title, but had not yet restored his power, as he was afraid some of the darkness may still linger in his heart. Our friends were not exactly cruel to him, but they treated him with a mild neglect. Like one would treat a stray cat that kept coming back to your door.

I worried about him greatly during this time. Even when he was trapped in madness, he retained his wit and sense of humor. But now he seemed so very empty. He wasn't even angry anymore. He was an utterly blank canvas, even Hogun showed more personality. He still put up with my company when I would go visit him, even teaching me this game he had learned on Earth called chess (though I have to say I am no good at it), but our conversations were hardly worth anything. Anything I would ask him was answered with either a nod, a shake of the head, or a curt, one-word reply.

For the most part, he would leave his room once a day, always to see Heimdall. It was no great secret that the Gatekeeper and the Mischief Maker loathed one another, but visiting him was the only way Loki could check on Blake. The admirable child had survived the accident with nothing more than a broken wrist and a gash above his brow, but was no doubt in my mind that had Loki not been there, the child would have died. Whether Loki knew it or not, he had repaid the debt he owed to the lad.

I ascended the staircase to his chambers, unsure of exactly what I was going to say to him. It was tearing me apart to see Loki so apathetic and pained, so I was doing everything in my power to change that. Granted, there was very little I really could do, but I tried!

I raised my hand and knocked on the door lightly, and was greeted with "Enter." And enter I did. Loki was sitting at his table and reading, as per usual. But there was something different about him today. It was so drastically different that it took my mind a moment to register exactly what it was.

Loki was smiling. This wasn't the usual, mischievous smile that he wore when he was about to make some sort of trouble. No, this was the smile of someone who was genuinely happy.

I couldn't help but smile myself at this beautiful, welcome sight and I sat down across from him. "What has happened to put you in such high spirits, brother?" I asked without thinking. I hoped that my words didn't insult him in some way, for I would hate for his smile to fade now that it had returned.

But it didn't fade. If anything it had broadened as he looked at me. "He's been adopted." Loki replied. "Taken in by a good family that will love him and treat him well."

I clapped my hands together excitedly. "This is wonderful news!" I said. "We simply must celebrate!"

But Loki shook his head at this suggestion. "Thor, I am still in no fit state to be celebrating anything. But I am happy, at least, that Blake was able to find some joy after the world and I had been so cruel to him."

I stared at him for a moment, seeing the hint of sadness that was in his eyes, fighting for dominance with his joy. "Loki, you were not yourself when you said those things. And you saved his life. Don't forget that."

Loki nodded but I could tell it wasn't sincere. He seemed to sense that he didn't fool me and let out a sigh. "I'm just glad he's happy now."

"It's because of you that he's alive and can be happy." I replied. When my brother didn't answer, I opted to change the subject. "Why don't you get out that chess game? I have a sneaking suspicion that I may beat you this time." I grinned.

Loki looked a bit incredulous at the thought. "Oh, I doubt it." But he smirked and retrieved the board from his shelf, setting it up on the table between us. There were not chess pieces in Asgard, and since father had not yet restored Loki's magic, he'd made everything by hand from white quartz and jet. I never took my brother for much of a craftsman, but these were beautiful and glistened in the light.

"Black or white?" He asked after he had set up all the pieces.

"White." I replied. Maybe if I went first this time, I may stand a chance. So Loki turned the side of the board with the quartz pieces towards me carefully, and motioned for me to make the first move.

"Now that you are in a much better mood, do you think you'll actually start coming down for meals again?" I asked as I moved one of the little pawns out onto the field two spaces. "We miss you at dinner, and our friends keep asking about you."

Loki rolled his eyes as he made his first move. "If your friends were at all interested in how I was fairing, they would come see me themselves instead of asking you to check up on me. They disliked me even before the whole banishment incident, and only put up with me because I am your brother"

My heart clenched a bit when I heard this, particularly how he said 'your' friends instead of 'our', but I had to lower my eyes and admit to myself that this was not entirely untrue. Yes, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had once thought of Loki as a friend, but they had never bonded with him as they had me. Sif in particular was cold to him. "Well... mother and father miss seeing you. Will you not come down?"

He sighed and looked at me rather pointedly. "I will, for your sake, and for mother's. I honestly don't think Odin is quite ready to accept me back as his son just yet. It's your turn by the way." He went quiet after this. I knew he wanted to say more, but this was the most progress we'd made in months, so I didn't want to push it.

"How are they, by the way?" Loki asked as I moved my little horse piece. "Your friends I mean."

I felt surprised and a little happy that he was asking about them. Perhaps we had made more progress than I had thought. "Fandral is still flirtatious, Hogun is still grim, Volstagg is still hungry, Sif is still fierce."

"Then all is right with the world." He replied with a familiar smile. A trickster's smile.

Even though it was the trickster in him that had gotten Loki into so much trouble in the first place, it was as much a part of who he was as his dark hair and green eyes. It filled me with joy beyond measure to see this part of my brother returned. "I spoke with father last night."

"About what?" Loki asked mildly, taking my little horse with his queen.

"About your request regarding Blake." He looked up at me when I said this, real interest in his eyes. "I wasn't able to convince him to allow you to bring him here. He said something along the lines of 'Asgard is no place for a human'."

Loki nodded grimly as if he had been expecting that. "But?'

"But I did manage to convince him to allow you to visit him once in a while. With an escort of course."

I flashed him a cheeky grin, but he ignored it entirely. His entire face had lit up in a way that I had not seen in years. There was joy in his eyes. Real, true joy. "How did you do it?" He asked quickly, sounding almost like a child again himself.

"If you nag him enough, even Odin All Father will give in eventually." I laughed. "Besides, I couldn't stand to see you so sad anymore, and when it comes down to it, neither could he. You're his son, and he loves you. We all love you. Please, try not to forget that this time. We miss the playful trickster you once were. Bring him back to us."

Emotion flashed in Loki's eyes and he looked away. "I'll see if there is anything I can do to bring him back to life. I believe it's your turn, brother." He smiled at me then, and I felt warmth wash over me.

I moved my little castle three squares to the right, threatening Loki's queen, when he moved her without hesitation and said. "Checkmate." With a grin. "You really are awful at this Thor. At least Blake was good."

I laughed, and after a moment, he laughed too. I don't know if things can ever truly be the way the were between us once upon a time, but this was a good start. Forgiveness still had to be earned, trust still had to be rebuilt, and pain still had to be eased. But I truly belive that there is room in both my heart and Loki's for all of this. All thanks to the boy that had rescued and redeemed the God of Mischief.

(Author's note: Well, that was cheese stuffed with cheese, cheesy ending. When I first started writing this, I had a much darker ending in mind. But when it came down to it, I was unable to bring myself to write it. I may eventually post it as an alternate ending, but I have yet to decide. If you liked Blake, feel free to use him in any of your works! Just make sure you let me know so that I may read and review myself. ALSO! If any of my readers are artists, I would be flattered to see some fanart from this story, particularly of Blake. Inform me either here, on my tumblr (son-of-a-mother-father-figure) or on my deviantart (LadyAbhorsen) Thank you all so much for your kindness and support. I couldn't have done this without you!