Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, nor Loki... sadly enough...

AN: So this is the last chapter, but do not fear, I'm already working in the sequel and I'll soon post a bit of preview.

Btw, this chapter is very much inspired in The Script's Breakeven.

11 months later in the Palace Dungeons of Asgard...

Leaning against the wall, Loki tapped the wand against the floor. He looked at it for a moment, a smile threatening to appear as he remembered how it had been found among his clothes and returned to him through his mother's strong insistence, although, then again, not many dared to disobey the queen. Having a possession that had once belonged to her had put him somewhat at ease, especially now that he had taking to her habit of tapping just about anything whenever bored, pensive, or ill at ease.

At the moment, it was a pensive mood that had taken over him. Sitting on the cold dungeon floor, he quietly observed the images before him, watching as a twenty-year old brunette teased her sixteen year old brother. Observing the liveliness and joy she possessed, he couldn't help but recall the barer of this gift, the one that allowed him his silent observation for the past six months.

"Sir," a male voice called.

Surprised at being addressed in such a manner by anyone, at least, given the current circumstances, Loki turned to look at the caller. In front of him stood Rai, dressed in traditional Asgardian clothes, his club pendant around his neck.

"Mjolnir, to what to I own... the pleasure?" Loki drawled, his voice hoarse from lack of speaking.

Ignoring his tone, Rai answered, "I have come here, sir, because you still haven't completed your promise to me..."

Surprised, Loki tried his best to remain calm and raised an eyebrow as he asked indifferently, "Ah, you have come to collect... I must say, death would be a welcomed change..."

Raising an eyebrow himself, Rai answered, "No, not collect, you serve no purpose to me dead... I need you to continue your task... your job is to watch over her and protect her and, as such, you will continue to do so..."

Loki let out a dark sort of laugh, one that sounded insane, before he growled at Rai, "In case you haven'y noticed, you pitiful entity, I am stuck here, powerless in every sort of way." He had moved towards the entity now, using his fortunate height to tower over Rai.

Rai narrowed his eyes, but tried his best to remain calm. He needed the Frost Giant's help, after all, he had already tried, but it had been proven useless, his Mistress had been correct, his help was very much needed in a still recovering realm, especially one with a weakened King. Deciding it best to show the mischievous god what his intentions were, instead of trying to explain father, he brushed past Loki and nearing the bed he bent down and balancing his whole weight on his forefeet, he dug something out of his leather bag. From withing it he drew out a small cube of light, almost like a miniature version of the Tesseract and placing it on the floor. With one hand still holding the Tesseract as the other one touches the cold floor, Rai concentrates as he imagines what he requires.

From his standing position, Loki observes the entity's actions in deep confusion and morbid curiosity. He watches as the miniature cube slowly dissipates, its light transferring to the floor, almost like melting water from an ice cube. As it melted, what seemed to be a puddle of blue light formed, shinning and glimmering off of the floor.

Rai stood up and turned to Loki, "Sir, do you still have the wand?"

Suddenly affronted, Loki answered, "What do you require it for?"

Shaking his head, Rai almost snaps, "I promise to return it, but you are already in dancing in a dangerous and very thin line, I would recommend it to you to be more careful, sir..."

Watching the lighting in the younger man's blue eyes, Loki complies and hands over his most precious possession. Nodding his thanks, Rai crutches once more holding on tight to the wand as it begins to glow in a soft white light. Taking a lighter hold of the wand, Rai positions the tip of it against the pool of blue light.

"Alexandria Joanne Darcy, Bremen, Germany."

The pool suddenly starts to shimmer and an image appears. A young brunette is sitting at her desk, book open as she reads, the fingers of her left hand creating a tapping rhythm. Staring at the image, Loki blinks before shaking his head.

It's impossible, this can't be happening, don't allow yourself to get your hopes up, this entity is simply playing some sort of mind trick on you, his mind whispered, his heart, however, was all a flutter.

Sensing the reluctance in the Frost Giant, Rai begins to explain, "I am sure that you are aware by now that the Tesseract is used to fuel the Bifrost... well, after speaking with the Ciara, the most reasonable of the Tesseract sisters that we know off, I managed to get her to help me on this ambitious project, you see, sir, this works like a Midgardian television, allowing you to observe Mistress Darcy at all times, as well as hear here at times. As for how it works," Rai said, as he turned to looked at the intrigued god, he had always been one with a thirst for knowledge, "The Tesseract's power feeds it, but it is my own connection to my ward, as well, as the wand, a former possession of her that enable it to work. Likewise, this wand allows you to hide this um .. 'viewing portal' from prying eyes..."

Rai moves towards the portal and tapping it once with the wand says, "Skjule*"

Loki stared in surprise, he really couldn't believe this was happening, after all, this was more beneficial to himself than it was to Mjolnir.

"Now, sir, I have done my part, tenfold, it is your job to watch over and should anything happen," Rai stops and bents to pick up the miniature cube, "you shall inform me by tapping on this with said wand, understood?"

Loki rolls his eyes, "It isn't all that complicated."

Rai nods as if trying to swallow back a comment concerning Loki's insolence before his temper gets the best causing him to move towards Loki, a storm brewing in his eyes, "If someone were to happen because you regret to inform, there will be Hel to pay, Loki Friggason."

Loki glares back, trying his best to remain unconcerned by his words, "Like I would allow anything to happen to her..."

Nodding once more, Rai moves to leave the room before pausing, "I almost forgot, Mistress Darcy requested that I get this books for you," he says, pulling out a selection of eight books that all grew to their original size once he placed them in the table.

Loki moved to the books, reading over the titles and mentally smiled as he recalled her mentioning them before. Observing him, Rai moved to leave and was just about to disappear when he heard an almost inaudible, "Thank you." Turning back, Rai looked at Loki who was observing Alexandria with interest, not even acknowledging the whispered words. Rai smiled.

A sudden sound, like that of uncontrollable laughter, drove Loki out of his reverie. Turning to his viewing portal, he silently watched, as bittersweet emotions soared through him at the sight before him. There, back at Midgard, stood a laughing Alexandria, who had just managed to jump on her brother's back, causing the sixteen-year-old to lose his balance and making them both fall. Watching them, a young girl of nine joined them in the floor, throwing herself on top of the siblings. The three laughed, strands of brown, red, and blond hair flying everywhere, contrasting each other like night and day.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that they get along so well, I do not believe anyone could actually believe they are siblings," a feminine and regal voice called.

Startled, Loki looked up to find the regal and noble figure of his mother standing in front of him. Looking at her, Loki moved to get up and greet her, but she waved him off.

"Don't bother getting up dear," she said, moving to seat down next to him on the stone cold floor.

"Mother, what if he finds out you are here?" Loki asked, trying his best to keep the worry out of his voice. It wasn't the first time she had ventured down the dungeons to visit him, but he still didn't like how much she risked herself for him, going against the Kings orders and all.

"Oh, now dear, I'll be fine, you know both Odin and Thor are as oblivious as the wish to be, which is, more often then not, very, and anyway, Mjolnir will keep them from knowing," Frigga answered, kissing his temple before turning to look at the girl and her siblings.

In the portal, she could see that the three siblings were still laughing on the floor, although not in heap anymore. Three figures observed them, two masculine and one female. The red-headed mother smiled at her children, her youngest being to only one to possess her coloring, the other two favoring their fathers. Alexandria finally stopped laughing and suddenly saw the three figures. Jumping and sincerely not caring for decorum or grace, she ran towards the youngest of the two chuckling men, leaping into the his open arms.

"That's Anthony Stark, The Iron Man," Loki whispered as he watched the scene.

Frigga struggled but recalled the name soon enough, her beloved Thor had mentioned him a few times before. Grabbing her son's cold hand, she stared at the view a bit more. Observing everyone closely, Frigga noticed, but decided not to mention, how Alexandria's smile seemed a bit forced as well as the worried looks on that both the parents and Thor's friend had, something, she was sure, her son had yet to see.

"They aren't entirely related, correct?" she asked as she saw the family happily talking.

Loki nodded in response. Looking at his wounded eyes, she could clearly see what was going through his mind as he recalled the what if's. Saddened, she place her head in his shoulder.

"I would have wished for such happiness, too," she whispered, her heart aching. She suffered in silence once more, like any other mother, hoping she could have given something more to her beloved boys.

Knowing she would soon have to leave, she turned to him and grabbed his face with her hands, softly forcing him to look at her, "Tell me, truthfully, how do you feel?"

Searching her with his eyes, he saw the earnest in her own and softly answered, "Honestly... I feel as if I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing. I am here mother, suffering and paying for my misdeeds and yes, I've got time while she got freedom, her best days are some of my worst, and I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping and yet... I wouldn't change it, because I prefer being the one suffering, the one going through all the pain than her ever being unhappy or worst hurt..."

Looking at her son, Frigga's gaze softened, and she leaned forward, kissing his forehead, "That my dear, proves all the potential you have, it proves that there is yet more for you to be, and shows how if you wish, you can be an even better man than Odin All-father ever was..."

The next day in Midgard (Somewhere in Central America)

Stretching, Alexandria tried her best to maintain her patience. If there was one thing she dearly hated about travelling was how tired and fuzzy it made her and the line before wasn't making things any better. It had been a tiring trip, around four hours on a plane, something she didn't wish to repeat anytime soon, or at least, not before the Christmas holidays. Especially because of how much time for leisure it allowed and leisure meant thinking about Loki, a subject that was still tender in her young heart.

Finally making her way out of the airplane, she went to seek her bags, thankfully finding them in record time before moving to the outward part of the airport, she was sincerely thankful that the alighting or disembarking process wasn't as tedious as those in the U.S. Carefully observing her surroundings, she tried to find the familiar face. A tap on her shoulder almost made her shriek in fright, before she turned to look at the unwarranted privacy invader to fight her way out, only to be surprised by the familiar face in front of her.

"Missed me?" the male voice said chuckling.

Hitting her companion's upper arm, she'd probably injured herself rather than hurt him, she answered irritated, "Bruce, you gave a fright!"

Chuckling some more, Bruce moved his misplaced lenses upward before answering, "Well, I've never thought I'd see the day in which not only does someone manage to sneak behind the infamous Alexandria Darcy, but to actually get frightened..."

Alexandria looked at him, almost going for another hit, but there hand was already hurting, so a glare had to suffice. Looking at her glaring eyes and almost pouting lips, Bruce laughed once more before deciding to be merciful.

"So, how did your last year go?" He asked as he grab her bags and started making his way out of the building, Alexandria walked beside him.

She rolled her eyes, "Like Tony didn't tell you," she paused when she accidentally ran into someone, "Disculpe.**"

Bruce smiled before answering, "Ah, that he did, he bragged about how you graduated with honors, second in your year... he even said that it was all thanks to him, assuring me that he had personally taught you all you knew..."

Alexandria rolled her eyes again, before dryly saying, "He would..." The effect, however, was lost by a smile that forced its way onto her face, although, like all the other, it never did quite reach her eyes.

"And how are you?" he asked, a bit nervously.

Her eyes darkened a bit, she didn't like it when people asked that question, after all she wasn't okay, probably never would be, specially since she'd always lie, "Fine, I guess."

He nodded, and opened the car's trunk while she leaned against one of the sides and muttered too low for Bruce to hear, "Yep, definitely fine, just perfectly fucked Up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional, pretty much sums up the hell my last year's been..."

"So, I was thinking..." he said, as he finished placing the bags in the cars trunk and moves to open the door for her.

Sliding onto her seat she says, "That can't be good..." Suddenly, however, her smile turns into a frown.

"Haha," he answers as he slides onto the driver's seat, "I thought that since you got here early enough we could maybe go to the hospital first, that way you could get to meet some of the patients and stuff..."

Relieved at being offered a distraction from her now darkening thoughts, she nodded.

"So here we are," Bruce says as he gets out of the car.

Alexandria follows, fixing her shirt a bit, thankful that she had chosen to were jeans and a tee, alongside her favorite pair of now very worn sneakers. Quietly observing her surrounding she observes the battered up building. The walls looking as if they are about to cave-in. Knowing better than to ask at the given moment, she saves the information up for later, maybe she can figure out something, possible even putting good use to her inheritance, even if it isn't a very large sum.

As they begin to move towards the halls, she observes how everyone politely greets Bruce and she smiles, politely greeting those who stop on their way to be presented.

"Seems your quite the hit over here, Dr. Banner," she says playfully. He simply smiles and turns on the corner before stopping in one of the rooms. From what she can see, it's the only room that isn't cramped up with beds and with people who are in there deathbed.

Turning to her, Bruce soberly says, "I gotta stop here for a moment, but no visitor's are allowed... Do you think you'll be okay all by yourself?"

Suddenly nervous, Alexandria turns to look around, she doesn't know anybody here other then Bruce, and even if her Spanish is practically perfect it isn't all that comforting a thought, but knowing it's for a patient's good she pulls on a brave face.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Sensing her nervousness, Bruce smiles and points at a hallway to her left, "The children's ward is in that area."

Nodding in relief she starts making her way there, when she suddenly bumps into a small child.

"Ay Dios, estas bien?***" she asks, kneeling to help the child up.

Looking at the mysterious woman, the child's eyes widen before he takes in her smile and nods. Beaming, she helps the small girl up and grabs her by the hand, asking the child to guide her to her room. Shyly the girl does and seeing all of the children in the ward, Alexandria suddenly feels comforted, she has a purpose once more and possibly, even something to help mend her broken heart.

*"Skjule" is, at least according to Google Translate, Norwegian for hide, just thought it was somewhat fitting...

**Spanish, loosely translated to "sorry"

***Spanish, loosely translated to "Oh God, are you okay?"

Please review