Isabella knew that she had fallen to sleep as soon as she opened her eyes again and saw the clock on her bedside table which informed her that it was six in the morning. She stretched her body, wincing as the bruises hurt against her skin. She knew that her pain could have been worse but it wasn't with thanks to Loki.

She closed her eyes tightly before opening them wide, trying to wake herself up before her gaze settled on the desk by her window. She looked over to it and instantly shot up, her pulse quickening as she saw that it was empty. Pushing the covers from her bed she stood up again and walked through her room, checking the bathroom which was also empty. Moving over to her desk she looked down at the papers and saw her name scrawled on a torn piece of paper.

She picked it up, noting his scrawl before she turned it over from her name and looked at the words there.

My dearest Isabella,

If you are reading this then you should have noted that something is not where you left it before you fell to sleep. Believe me when I say that I spent hours wondering whether or not this note should be written but I deduced that you deserved an explanation.

I have seen things which I never thought would affect you. I have travelled to places which I do not wish on my worst enemy. I spent days in the cold, hungry and tired yet too scared to sleep for fear of death sneaking upon me. Hours of my time would be spent wandering the darkness, hoping for something to happen, longing for a light to show me the way. Alas nothing came. Nothing came and I realised that there was no point in me even living, especially when I realised that I would not find you. You had fallen from the bridge and not once did I think that you would be living on Midgard, acting amongst the humans and taking lessons in their etiquette.

And then I finally found them. The Other told me of the power which I could have. I could rule once more. I admit myself disappointed with the things which happened in Asgard. I saw this as a chance to redeem myself, to prove that I could be a King. Only then would they see what I could do. Odin would finally see me for what I was. A worthy leader. I admit that I have killed men. I have killed them readily and easily, disregarding human life without a second thought and I have come to understand that is what upsets you the most. When I saw you cry over the human I had killed then it was only then how I realised I had hurt you.

When I finally saw you standing in that shining white room I did not know what to think. I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me, showing me what I wanted to see. But it was real. You were real. I felt overjoyed at seeing you, knowing that you had survived. And then when you came to me I told you of my plan and you rejected me once more. You begged with me much like you had done when we were on Asgard. And I did not listen. I thought that I could win. I thought that I could rule and I would have you by my side one more time. It seemed logical to me. It is only now when I realise that I am wrong once again.

If I had won then you would never have been by my side willingly. You would have gone against me, never wishing for my touch or hold. I would have made your life a misery.

And that is why I have left now.

Enough damage to you has been caused by my hand. I have seen what I have done to you. For many years I placed the blame on others. I blamed those who had wronged me yet I could not let the true blame lie with myself, for that was the blame which hurt the most.

And so I have had to leave. I do not wish to spend another day in a cell on Asgard. I do not wish to suffer in silence. There is nothing left for me back on that planet. So I find myself running. Where to, I know not yet. But I could not force you to come with me. I could not place a life like this upon you. Running and looking back is not something which you deserve. You deserve to go back home, to your mother and live your life with no worry. You do not deserve anymore agony. I cannot promise that we would be safe together if we left here. There is always a chance of being caught; my magic is not what it once was. And if we were caught then you would be punished and I would have put you through more pain. T'is not something I wish. I tried to convince myself that I could keep you safe but I have seen that I cannot do that. I spent hours thinking of the Frost Giant burn on your arm. I thought of how I had seen The Other torture you, damaging you further than even I had imagined possible.

I leave for you, in the hope that you can go on and return to Asgard. It is only as I sit and watch you sleep do I realise that I should never have done what I did. I should have been content with you by my side in Asgard. I did not need Odin's approval, for what does it matter now? Nothing mattered apart from you. Only now when it is too late do I realise that. I realise that I do love you.

And that is why I go.

Remember to keep yourself safe and maybe one day we will meet again.

Forever yours.

Her hands shook as she held onto the letter, looking at the final sentence. Forever yours. He didn't sign it for he had no need to. She felt the tears freely flowing down her cheeks, his words imprinted in her mind and she struggled to come to terms with it.

She barely felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump back in the seat she had taken refuge in. She whirled her body around, Clint stood over her with wide eyes and a sombre expression. He saw her tears falling freely before he moved to the side of the chair, crouching down on his knees and looking at her as she dropped the letter into her lap.

"Where is he?" Clint asked her and she shook her head.

"He's gone," she whispered to him, pushing the tears from her eyes and looking back to the letter which had been written on the scrap piece of paper she had screwed up from her draft coursework. "He left and he...he never said goodbye..."

Clint prised the letter from her hands, needing to know what he had said for S.H.I.E.L.D. was hunting him down. They had learned of his disappearance that morning along with Isabella's when the nurse had gone to do her rounds on the patient. Isabella clung onto the letter, not wanting Clint to read Loki's tender words to her. They were meant for her and her alone.

"No," she said sternly. "It does not say where he is, simply that he has run."

"Okay," Clint said, deciding not to challenge her tone. "What happened to you? How are you healed?"

"He did it," Isabella muttered. "He used his magic and fixed my bones...setting them in the right place..."

Clint said nothing as Isabella stood up, wincing slightly as she held onto the letter, realising that she still wore the blue hospital gown from her time there.

"Thor returns back to Asgard this afternoon," Clint told her simply and she nodded, sniffing loudly once again in his presence as he stood straight, watching her intently. "He asks if you would return with him?"

"Does he not seek to find Loki?"

"He knows it useless," Clint said, admitting defeat. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. would not give up, he knew their attempts were lacklustre. The God of Mischief did not want to be found and if he did not want to be found then he would not be found. He would remain hidden and out the way, lurking by himself.

But there was always the chance that he would cause more trouble. He already had done and there was no one to say that he would not do it again.

"Loki has gone," Isabella said. It sounded as if she was trying to get the message to sink in, that she was trying to convince herself that it had really happened again. She had gone two and a half years without him. She didn't know if she could go anymore time without him.

"He's gone..." she whispered again and Clint sighed, daring to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly to him. She moved her own arms around his waist, sobbing into his chest as she shook violently, her stomach churning as she remembered his words on the page to her.

Clint comforted her, knowing deep down that this was for the best. Isabella did not deserve to live a life in fear with a war criminal. She deserved some chance at happiness. What he struggled to believe was how Loki simply allowed her that. He had given her up, committing a selfless act. For once he had put her first. Clint knew that he loved her then.

...

"How do we return to Asgard?" Isabella asked Thor as soon as she and Clint stepped outside of her dormitory. Thor had been stood on the grass, waiting with Agent Romanoff as she tried to fish for any more information regarding Loki. Campus was deserted, students left for home for two weeks in the aftermath of the destruction on the city and so it was the perfect place to take them back without any commotion.

"Father has the tesseract," Thor told her simply. "He has Heimdall looking out for us and then he shall wield its power to bring us back."

Isabella nodded once in agreement. She had changed her body into a simple yellow dress, her pasty legs covered in cuts and bruises but it hurt her to cover them up and she had no flowing material to hide the marks. A blazer sat on her shoulders and Loki's letter remained in her pocket.

"I apologise for everything which my brother has done to you...he should never have kidnapped you from the hospital."

"T'is fine," Isabella assured him, her face emotionless as she looked up to the blue sky, thinking of Loki and wondering where he was. "He healed me and we...well...it matters not now..."

"I shall have Heimdall continue searching for Loki yet his efforts shall probably be wasted," Thor admitted, looking at Natasha and Clint as he did so. The two agents shrugged nonchalantly, not caring for the God of Mischief.

"As long as he doesn't come back here and cause trouble then I don't care," Clint said and Thor pursed his lips together, holding his hammer tight by his side before he raised it up, a rumble of thunder echoing through the sky as his presence was made known to Heimdall. Isabella turned quickly to look at Clint, knowing that she did not have much time left.

"Thank you," she said gratefully to him. "For everything that you've done for me...for finding me and-"

"-Hey," Clint cut her off, running his hand down her newly washed hair. "You don't need to thank me, squirt. It's fine."

Isabella hugged him tightly one more time, nodding briefly at Romanoff as the two of them stepped back and she moved closer to Thor's side. The God of Thunder offered her his arm courteously and she took hold of it, looking to the sky as the blue light shone down over the pair of them. Isabella closed her eyes as she felt her feet leave the floor and she clung tightly to Thor, the fear of darkness coming over her once again as they moved through the air.

It only took a moment before she felt the firmness of ground beneath her and she dared to peel one eye open, looking around hesitantly as she released herself from Thor's arm. The throne room was exactly as she had remembered it. Large, golden and grand. It was deserted apart from Odin who sat in his throne and Frigga remained by his side. He leaned forwards at the sight of the pair of them before Frigga gasped at the attire wore by Isabella. She strode forwards towards the girl, moving down the steps from the throne.

"Mother," Thor greeted her gently, kissing her cheek and she smiled warmly at him.

"Thor...it is good to have you home," she informed her son whilst Odin remained silent, watching as Thor moved closer to him, kneeling in his presence.

Frigga rested both of her hands on Isabella's shoulders and smiled warmly at the girl, surprised that she was back in Asgard.

"My dear," she whispered softly. "How nice it is to have you back here...even under these circumstances..."

"Thank you, my Queen," Isabella whispered. She didn't want to be there. She wanted to run into the town and go back to her home. She wanted to find her mother and hold her tightly like she had done when she was a little child. She wanted the only one she had left.

"Isabella."

She winced at the sound of the Allfather calling her name and Frigga took in her motion. She bit down on her bottom lip, realising what she had yet to tell the child. She took hold of her by the shoulders, her arm wrapping over them as she noted the cuts and scars on her body. Shaking her head she realised what the girl had been through. She had Heimdall watching the Earth for any sign of her son and with her son came Isabella. Frigga has seen her body tortured and resting in Loki's arms and she sobbed, willing for something good to happen to the two of them. She wished she could turn the clock back.

"Allfather," Isabella whispered back, awkwardly curtseying in front of Odin.

She knew what she willed to ask him. It simply required nerve.

"I see that you have been harmed in ways which should never be inflicted on a girl," he told her, his eye never leaving her and she shook her head.

"I have healed with thanks to Loki," she said and Odin said nothing at hearing his adopted son's name. "He came and saved me and I am eternally grateful to him for that."

"He escaped from Asgard," Odin challenged her. "He went against the sentence given to him."

"He did it to save her," Frigga hissed. "Why can you not see that?"

"Because now he has run away," Odin said. "And when we catch him then his punishment shall be more severe. I do not wish to see the boy in anymore trouble. He is still my son, even after all of this."

Isabella coughed once, daring to speak her mind for once in her life. Odin looked at her, a brow quirked in her direction as she softly spoke up to him.

"If I may, Allfather," Isabella started. "Do not find him. Leave him be. He will cause no more trouble for he does not long to. He has proved that."

"You speak out of place," Odin warned the girl, his voice low and dangerous. Isabella shook his head at hearing the Allfather and Frigga removed her arm from the girl, watching her with admiration.

"After everything which Loki has done...I know that he has committed evils and atrocities which deserve to be punished. But is living a life in the shadows not punishment enough? He will be by himself...carrying out his days alone...is that not pain enough?" Isabella wondered and Odin said nothing back to her. He saw the pain in her eyes, the hurt in her face as she spoke of him in such a manner.

"You want him pardoned?" Odin checked from her. "You ask me to do something which does not follow protocol."

"I know, my King," Isabella said softly. "Yet, Loki will be hiding and the chances of finding him are slim. His magic is strong...we know that...why not leave him?"

Odin said nothing back to her and Frigga took hold of her arm, realising that Odin was contemplating her words. He wanted his son back. He wanted him to make sure that he was safe. But he knew that the girl spoke sense. Loki was suffering enough, he was sure of that. He had lost one thing he truly loved.

The Allfather nodded and Thor said nothing, his jaw dropping open as he saw his father contemplate her words. Frigga smiled softly at Isabella as Odin waved his hand, dismissing her silently. The Queen took hold of Isabella by the arm and led her from the hall.

"Prince Thor tells me that you tend to my mother whilst she is ill?" Isabella checked in a hushed voice as the guards opened the doors for them. Frigga's spine tingled at hearing her and she said nothing for a moment, feeling Isabella's stare on her.

"Perhaps you should sit down?" Frigga spoke with concern. Isabella continued walking down the hallway, looking at the maids who came their way. Frigga's gaze was enough to make them turn on their heel and walk the other way down the hallway, away from the royal Queen.

The quietness of the hall caused Isabella to stop. She didn't need to sit down. She simply needed the truth.

"What has happened?" she wondered from her and Frigga sighed, running her hand down Isabella's cheek soothingly.

"She...she has been weak for some time...weaker than normal...Isabella...she...the news of you coming back with Thor gave her some hope. And then Thor and Loki returned without you. The news was too much for her to bear. She sat by Heimdall...seeing the pain which you had been put through and it proved too much for her. She turned quiet and cold. We tried to see if we could get anything from her but there was nothing, Isabella."

"No," Isabella shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing from the Queen. "My mother was strong...she would not have left me...she could not..."

"She was not who she used to be," Frigga said, holding tightly onto Isabella's shoulders, feebly attempting to comfort the girl. "As soon as you were taken from her she lost the will to live. She lost heart, Isabella."

Isabella's head continued to move back and forth, refusing to believe what she was hearing. She couldn't have died. It wasn't possible. Longevity was something instilled into every true Asgardian.

"We are not immortal," Frigga reminded her. "And the loss of heart is something which hurts us more than any broken bone or cut."

"Where is she?" Isabella wondered softly, the tears still falling down her face freely. Frigga took her by the hand and they continued to walk down the hallway once more.

"I have her in the palace crypt," she informed her. "She deserved...well...it was the least I could do."

"Can I see her?" Isabella wondered. "Can I see where she is?"

"Of course," Frigga said; her voice soft and soothing. "I shall take you there...come on..."

Isabella followed Frigga down the halls until they came to the deepest part of the palace where all of the nobility were buried. Their resting places inside of exquisite marble stone, decorated with statues of the Gods. Isabella looked as bodies lined the walls, hidden away behind stone. The room was light and breezy, a water feature dominating the middle of the room. She finally came to the last coffin of the row and Frigga's hand ran over the stone.

Isabella looked at it, her body freezing and numbing as she thought of her mother's lifeless body inside of it.

"I shall leave you for a few moments," Frigga said gently. "I will wait for you by the stairs."

Nodding once, she felt Frigga sweep back past her. Isabella cautiously moved her hand, placing it against the marble stone, wishing that her mother could hold her fingers tightly in hers. But she knew it was not to be.

"I am so sorry, mother," Isabella whispered, truly not knowing what else she could say. Words failed her at that moment in time. The one thing she had come back had been lost. What was there left for her on Asgard? He had not come back and had chosen to run away without her.

"I should have listened to you more...I should have spent more time with you...I am so sorry," Isabella continued to ramble gently. She didn't have anything coherent or sensible to say to her mother. "I love you, mother. I always will do...I am so sorry..."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and pressed her lips against the marble. She took a moment to look at the coffin before turning around and leaving, unable to stand there, knowing her mother's lifeless body was in front of her.

Frigga admitted herself shocked when she saw the girl so soon coming back up the stone steps. She had ceased her tears, instead looking numb and tired. She took a second to look at Frigga who smiled warmly at her, trying to show the girl some kindness in the world.

"Come along. We will change you and clean you up," Frigga said. Isabella nodded and followed willingly. She knew what she wanted to do.

Asgard proved that there was nothing left for her but bad memories. She had no income to support herself and she assumed that there would be no home for her. She pressed her hand to her pocket, feeling the crumpled paper containing Loki's words. He had been remorseful for what he had done. He had regretted his actions and Isabella seethed slightly, wondering why he could not have done that the previous night. Why could he not tell her to her face?

She knew it was stupid to listen to him, to believe him, the God of Lies. But she did believe him. He had killed innocent people. He had taken away Phil from her so coldly. Yet he regretted it. She knew that it did not make anything better. It did not make what he did acceptable. But it didn't stop her from loving him.

"My Queen," Isabella gurgled once they were in the room she had claimed as hers during her stay at the palace. "I cannot stay here...I cannot live..."

"My dear," Frigga said simply, guiding Isabella to sit at the foot of the bed. Isabella shook her head back and forth, taking the letter from her pocket and looking at his words. Frigga noted the scrawl of her son before the girl took to staring into her eyes.

"Do you believe in second chances?" she wondered and the Queen nodded sternly. Of course she did. She had granted Loki his to go and save Isabella and he had not disappointed her. He had done what he had said and proved himself in her eyes.

"Yes," Frigga confirmed. "I do believe in them."

Isabella nodded once, removing the tears from her eyes as she thought about where he could be. She supposed that he could not have got far just yet. But she could be mistaken His magic was beyond her comprehension.

"I...I know it is wrong...everything he did is wrong but I still love him," Isabella said, continuing to look at Frigga. "He...he wrote it...how he regretted it and I do believe him. I know he is not virtuous...I know what he did...but...my mother...she has gone...a broken heart claimed her and I do not want to suffer the same fate."

"No, you will not," Frigga assured her simply, wondering what the girl was asking from her. Isabella continued to look around; her hands running down her hair in frustration, her emotions conflicted.

"I fear I will," Isabella said. "The two and a half years on Midgard were spent thinking that Loki was still on Asgard yet he was not. He had fallen. That was time when I had hope but here...right now...I have nothing. I have nothing and I have nothing to lose by going to him."

"You wish to go to him?" Frigga asked her and Isabella stood up, pacing the floor of her room and Frigga remained intently watching her.

"I do," Isabella admitted. "It is wrong but I do. He has done terrible things but I cannot stay here. I cannot stay in Asgard without him...he came back for me...he saved me. There is nothing more in Asgard for me."

"The Bridge is broken," Frigga said to Isabella. "Odin would know if you left. He would see your act as traitorous, Isabella."

"What does it matter?" Isabella wondered. "I need to see him...to know that he truly meant what he wrote...if not then I shall stay on Earth. I have a life there...but here...I do not want to stay here without the person who raised me."

"There is a way...the tesseract could take you back to Midgard...but finding Loki will be difficult..."

"I will look for him," Isabella said determinedly. "He found me on Earth before. I can find him this time."

"We need to act quickly," Frigga said to her, moving to the wardrobe in her room and pulling a long robe from it. She handed it to Isabella who took hold of it from her, wondering why she would need to change.

"Heimdall sees all and protects the tesseract in the vault," Frigga warned her simply. "Change into that so you do not look suspicious on the way."

Isabella did as she was told, stepping into the washroom and shedding her current clothes. She placed the flowing material over her body, the dress the same pink colour as the one she had worn the day she fell to Earth. She took her blazer and draped it over her arm, knowing that it would be cold once she reached Earth once more. She moved from the washroom with no chance to think before Frigga was taking hold of her hand, holding it tightly and walking with her down the corridors.

"If you find him then tell him how much he means to me," Frigga said quickly. "Tell him that he is still my son and he always will be. I will not stop hoping that he will one day return to us. I can never abandon the longing."

"I will," Isabella promised her, the two women walking with haste down the corridors of the palace, keeping out of the way of passing maids as they did so. Some saw them yet none questioned them.

Isabella's gaze turned down the corridor to where a familiar maid stood, a jug in her hands as she gripped onto it tightly, her eyes widening at the sight of the former palace servant.

She said nothing as she looked away from Edda and turned her attention back to following Frigga. The Queen dropped back a moment, walking tightly beside Isabella before she whispered.

"Loki is lucky to have you," she said. "After everything he has done...you still stand by him and protect him...you are the good in him. I know it and I thank you for it."

Isabella said nothing back to the Queen, not knowing how to truly reply to her words. The pair of them finally came to the depths of the palace where the casket was held, seeing the tesseract which was held next to the casket, the power which could only wielded by the Frost Giants. Frigga looked at the blue light, her eyes widening as she pulled the tesseract from its resting place. It remained in the glass container which Thor had brought it back in.

"Promise to be careful," Frigga implored Isabella, her eyes never leaving the power in her hands. "I know what he has done to you but I believe he is sorry. I believe he truly loves you."

"I know," Isabella replied quietly, holding her hand out and receiving the tesseract from the Queen. "Do you think if I wish for him then it will take me to him?"

"I think it possible," Frigga admitted. "Now go, Isabella. There is not much time."

"Thank you," Isabella whispered and Frigga rested her hand on the girl's cheek, stroking it lightly. Isabella took hold of the tesseract, closing her eyes as she turned the handle. She willed for it to take her to him. Longing for her to land right in front of him.

Isabella kept her eyes tightly closing, wondering where she would end up. She held tightly onto the tesseract until she felt it slip from her hands, knowing that Frigga would have held onto the other end so that it could not leave Asgard.

Isabella cared not for the power of the tesseract, only that it provided her with a way to Midgard. She felt nothing until her body hit a wet ground, moistening the back of her jacket. She sat up quickly, looking around at the night sky and she panted for breath. Short clouds of her breath came out in front of her as she pushed herself to her feet, scrambling around and tripping over the ends of her dress.

She looked around; the only sight in front of her was large trees, lining the landscape for miles on end. Stars shone above the canopies but that was not the thing which caught Isabella's attention. She looked to the smoke which came from the trees and she wondered if it was possible. She moved hastily, walking towards the sight of the smoke, her feet tripping over the trunks and roots of trees. The ground was damp, a smell of rain hung in the air.

Isabella paid no attention to the sounds coming from around her as the orange blaze of the fire came into her sight. Her pace became slower until she looked at the small fire and she saw him. He sat on the ground, his cloak tightly around his body and his hands by the warmth.

She lurked behind a tree for a moment, her eyes watching the back of his head, taking in his dark locks before she moved slowly, stumbling towards him.

"Loki?" she whispered his name and he turned his head around, his eyes widening as he saw her. She stood there, her blazer tightly wrapped around her shoulders and he stood up, keeping his distance and simply staring at her for a few moments.

"Isabella," he replied. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I went back to Asgard," she mumbled, walking closer towards him. "But...when I got there...my mother she had died. She had been unable to hold onto life."

Loki said nothing, his eyes dropping to look to the ground and he wondered how much misfortune she could suffer.

"I couldn't stay there knowing that I had nothing. There was no point in living in Asgard. A life working among drunks or serving the nobility...fending for myself...I knew that there was nothing there...no home for I could not afford it and my mother...she was the only thing I wanted in Asgard...I could have a life on Midgard. I have a university programme here and a future..."

"I see," Loki said. And did he fit into her plans? Did he have any place with her? He had thought that she had come for him. He thought that she had come to forgive him, to allow him a chance to show his repenting.

"Of course...I could have all that...it would be sensible for me. But that is not why I came here." Isabella said and Loki remained mute. He did not intend to say the wrong thing when she was explaining herself to him. "I came here because of what you wrote, Loki." She pulled the letter from her pocket and he looked at it, true enough his words been visible in his eyes. "I came here because you wrote how you regretted everything...how you wished nothing had happened before. Yet you could never say that face to face, Loki. You could never tell me how you truly felt."

"You know why I left, Isabella," Loki replied simply to her. "I left to stop your pain."

"But it did not work," Isabella admitted. "When I was in Asgard, stood by mother's coffin, I realised that nothing I did would stop me from loving you. I had to come and make sure that the letter was not a lie. That you want a second chance."

"T'is no lie," Loki assured her and she stumbled closer to him, slowly moving as her gaze never left his. "But you should not be here, Isabella. I am not safe and I can offer you no life. I cannot offer you anything you deserve."

"I do not want anything," Isabella said, sadly smiling at him. "You have changed, Loki. You are not who you once were. Your selfishness...it is no longer...you wish to redeem yourself, you simply do not know how to."

"I wish for nothing," Loki admitted. "I only wish for you but I do not want to hurt you like I have done."

"No," Isabella said, her hand finally resting on his cheek. "You hurt me in ways I never thought possible...but you were...I do not believe that was you, Loki."

"It was," Loki assured her simply. "It was me."

"It will take time for me to forgive you. I may never forgive you for what you did...but I want to."

"Then do not torture yourself by being in my presence," Loki urged her, his own hand moving to her throat, his thumb roaming her soft skin as she stepped even closer to him, their bodies flush against each other.

"I torture myself when I am not in your presence," Isabella assured him. "When you left this morning without a word I felt numb. I felt horrible and broken. You had gone with nothing. You had not told me. I am not going anywhere. I am not going anywhere as long as you tell me that you still want me. As long as you tell me that you want redemption."

"Of course I want you," Loki told her quickly. "But do you truly want me? Do you truly want me after everything which I have done?"

"I...yes..." she replied simply. "I know it is weak and I know it is wrong but I do not care. I do not want to live my life in regret. I want to try and be happy."

"With me?" Loki checked, stretching his arms around the woods. "I cannot offer you that, Isabella. I shall not force you into this. You should go back to the life you built on Midgard and do something with your life."

"And what of you?"

"I shall stay hidden," Loki promised her. "But I will come for you. I will visit you when I have the chance to. But I cannot subject you to a life in hiding. I do not want to."

"But I want you-"

"-It matters not," Loki interrupted her. "I will not bring you with me, Isabella. I will not subject you to this. I fear if you spend your time with me then you will not forgive me. You will look upon me and come to resent me even more. We need time and space. I know that I do not have your trust. That is something which I need to gain one more time."

Isabella said nothing as she heard him speak to her, his voice soft and soothing in her ears. Loki tucked her hair behind her ears and left his hands on her cheeks.

"Trust me when I say that I do this for you," Loki urged her. "I have my magic to veil me and keep me hidden. I would remain in Midgard if it meant being with you."

"You wish for me to live a life happily whilst you hide in such conditions?" she checked and he nodded.

"You deserve that. And then maybe one day...one day if you can truly forgive me then maybe we will build a life together...maybe we can be happy again...I have no intention of straying far from you."

"I do love you, Loki," Isabella said, kissing his cheek hastily.

"I know," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it, resting her skin against his lips. "But for tonight...stay with me? Let me hold you one more time."

"Of course," Isabella said and Loki took his resumed seat on the floor. She took to his side, leaning against his armour covered arm as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

She could not deny that she still felt resentment towards him. She knew that she would do for a while. But she wanted that feeling to leave. Maybe Loki had the right idea. Maybe they did need time apart for a while to rebuild their lives. To learn to love again.

"I will take you back to your room tomorrow," Loki assured her. "And I shall visit you at night...like I did before."

"I would like that," Isabella said and he kissed her on the top of her head tenderly.

And so Loki would begin again. It would be how they were on Asgard. He visited her in the darkness, shielded so that no one could see him.

"What shall you do?" Isabella worried.

"I shall spend my days finding something to do," Loki assured her. "You need not worry about me."

"You shall find that I will do that," Isabella assured him quietly. "I asked your father to stop searching for you whilst on Asgard."

"You did?" Loki checked, slightly shocked that she would ask such a bold thing from the King. "I assume he did not take kindly to your request."

"He was quite gracious," Isabella admitted with a small nod. "He said nothing, simply sat there and considered it. Your mother was the one who helped me to escape again. She wants you to know that she still loves you and she always will do."

"Yes," Loki said nothing in response. "And I am sorry to hear about your mother, Isabella. I know how much she meant to you."

"Yes," she replied in nothing but a whisper. "She would not be happy that I am here but I hope she understands."

"I hope so too," Loki said, squeezing tightly around her shoulders. "I love you."

Isabella blinked quickly at the sudden declaration from his soft lips and she smiled sadly, simply hoping that it would be enough for them.

"I love you too."

Loki kissed her hastily, his hand on her chin and his lips moving softly against hers before he rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes and realising that she is definitely enough for him.

...

A/N: I couldn't end it with a horrible ending and them not being together! Granted they are not together fully but they are trying to love one more time. Major inspiration came from 'Just Give Me A Reason' from P!nk! Love that song and totally relatable too.

Anyway, I do hope that you have all enjoyed the journey which we have been on and I hope you shall leave me one final review! I thank everyone for their reviews in the past, especially my regular reviewers and who knows? Perhaps there will be another story in the future?