Divided Chapter 46

The door shut with a click. Colin stood in the dark cavernous foyer gazing up the stairs to the balcony. When he'd first entered the manor, he'd looked through the archway to spy Loki in his chair before the fireplace in the sitting room. He was certain Loki had waited up for him, sure if he ignored him and continued upstairs to his bedchamber, confronting him the next day would be far worse.
His whole body tensed as he started through the archway into the sitting room until at last he stopped beside Loki's chair.
“Yer Highness,” a thousand conversations came to his mind at once. Should he mention the details of his day at the longhouses? Start right in explaining about Simon? Should he say anything at all?
“Long have I set here this evening, pondering the day's events...”
“Fergive me, yer Highness. I could've saved you the trouble if I'd returned sooner but Tony....,”
Loki shot up from the chair to face Colin who took a step backward, “I have been a naïve fool! To think you would tell me all in honesty, holding nothing back. My fondness for you fair clouded my judgment. Blinded me to the fact that you are still a Midgardian, an....” his nose wrinkled in disgust, “An agent sent by that one eyed monster, Fury!”
Colin put his hand on Eidra's chair, sure his legs were going to betray him.
“I've been honest with you!” Colin cried, the words sitting on his tongue like poison, “I've told you every fecking thing I can about this project!”
“Everything you can...what of everything you know?!” Loki roared, advancing another step forward, the smell of wine pervading the air about him.
“I can't tell you everything I know any more than you can tell me how many spies you've got watching our encampment! I've been as fecking honest with you as I can!”
Loki looked away into the fire, a snarl frozen across his lips, “What of the portals? Stark warned me to stay vigilant. To be prepared should the Midgardian's reach extend their grasp. What of them? Have I received more truth from my admitted enemy than my apparent friend?”
Colin felt close to tears. Apparent friend. Damn S.H.I.E.L.D, damn this whole operation.
“I thought you wanted to grill me about Simon's cock up...”
“If  Simon Foster's defection brings about an influx of Fury's Midgardian warriors, I am  more than interested. Must I now fear for the safety of my realm, of my family?”
From the corner of his eye, Colin detected movement beneath the archway into the foyer but kept his attention on Loki. There was someone listening to their exchange, likely more than some one with the volume they were at.
“I'm as concerned as you are, bleedin' Christ! If I knew anything at all about ulterior motives, you'd be the first to know! I told you a thousand times if I told you once, they don't tell me everything though I'm not going to make you believe it no matter what I say,” he took a deep breath, fear nearly stopping his words, “But you've an option. You can request I move to the encampment...remove the threat, so to speak...”
“Loki.”
They turned to see Eidra coming toward them.
“You told me you were going to speak of Simon Foster's request for asylum and now I find you judging Colin most unfairly.”
Loki glanced at Colin then to Eidra, “Get thee straightaway to bed woman....I shall speak of what I will...”
“Loki!” Eidra stamped her foot hard on the floor, “How dare you disrespect me so...,” her eyes narrowed at him, she nodded to Colin, “You must forgive my husband his indiscretion for when he is in his cups, he is another man altogether. He tends to forget his manners..”
“Eidra!”
Eidra glared at Loki, “...and believes there is no other voice to be heard save his...so I shall gather his thoughts for him. He was distressed at Simon's request for asylum based upon his claim of kinship with one of the dwarven clans in Alfheim..”
There was a loud scrape upon the floorboards as Loki shoved the chair beside him and began to pace in stony silence behind them.
“Milady, I will tell you what I know which is pitiful little,” at the very least therein he hadn't lied, “Simon has been told he's a descendant of...” something in the back of his mind told Colin to pare back what he was going to say, “a clan of dwarves in Alfheim. The seer Trena seems to believe it as well.”
“What clan?” Loki muttered, “If we are to find him we must know.”
“Trena said he should be left to his task.”
Loki spun about, strode up to him, “Trena is insane as was her predecessor.”
Colin stood his ground, nose to nose with Loki, “Be that as it may, Simon failed to mention what clan. I swear If I knew I'd tell you because I'm of the same mind. That old witch is off her nut.”
Loki paused, looked to Eidra and sighed as he eased back to sit in his chair.
“ 'Tis not impossible, to be fair. The bridge has endured for thousands of seasons in one form or another and we have intermingled with the realms for as long. But not to know of one's heritage....how could he be so ignorant of such a thing?”
Colin was forming a reply when he felt Eidra's hand on his shoulder, drawing him away from Loki's side.
“Let him alone with his thoughts, Colin. He fears more Midgardians will come to stay here in Asgard, changing our way of life. He believes Simon's defection is simply the beginning. I believe his fears are unfounded. If we are vigilant, if we are careful nothing will change, nothing will happen....” They looked at Loki who sat staring again into the fire, a hand to his mouth, “Do you agree?”
Colin set his jaw, “I hope, Milady. I would love to say I agree but I can only hope if the truth be told.”
Eidra squeezed his shoulder, “Then we will indeed be upon our guard. Get to bed. Let him brood, let the wine dull his memory so he will be in better humor on the morrow.”
Eidra smiled as Colin bowed to her, “Yer ladyship is truly a wise woman.”
“He is exceeding fond of you, Master Denehy, as are we all. Doubt not the truth of this but also is he afraid of what this event foretells,” she looked behind her to Loki, “Good eve. May the morning shine brighter.”
“From yer mouth to the gods ears,” Colin whispered as she glided to Loki's side, kneeling to the rug before his chair.



“Look at him! I am so very happy for them!”
Sophie swiped her finger across the screen, “And that's their official engagement picture.”
“Brian has lost weight, has he not?”
Sophie handed the tablet to Brenna, “Keep swiping to the left to see the rest of the pics....yeah he's dropped about fifty pounds,” She held out the wooden bowl to Brenna, “Come on, these chips aren't going to eat themselves.”
Brenna set the tablet on her lap, a faraway look on her face as Sophie rattled the bowl in front of her.
“Okay, the Brenna I know wouldn't turn away sea salt and vinegar chips if she were strung up by her toenails and covered with fire ants. You've been mum ever since you got back to New York,” Sophie set the bowl of chips down on the floor in front of the couch, “When are you gonna spill your guts?”
Brenna tilted her head, momentarily perplexed, “Ah....forgive me. It has been such a long time since mine ears have heard Midgardian vernacular...,” she stared into the bowl of chips, “You recall when I arrived I told you much has changed since last we talked?”
“We talked about four months ago....honestly how much can change in such a short span of time?”
Both of them looked up as the apartment door swung open with a flourish, “I....have returned!”
Sophie clapped her hands as Marnie set a case of Smirnoff on the couch between them. Brenna smiled gamely up at the buxom blond woman. When she'd been introduced to Sophie's new roommate, she'd been put off by the woman's abrupt nature, particularly when she'd jerked her thumb at Brenna and remarked to Sophie, “She just don't look like a mutant....then again neither do you.”
“Now it's a party....or the beginning of one...,” Sophie opened the case of Smirnoff and drew out a bottle, “Want one?”
At first, Brenna held up her hands in protest until Marnie plopped down on the couch beside her and snickered, “You never told her she was a lightweight, Phee.”
Scowling, Brenna took the bottle from Sophie's hand and twisted the cap off, “We drink ale and hard cider each day where I come from. I daresay I am no lightweight.”
Sophie gave Brenna a nervous smile, “She'll drink you under the table, Marnie.”
Brenna gripped the bottle tight. If her father found out Sophie wasn't staying with her parents while she went to college, he would likely change his mind about letting her room with Sophie for spring semester....if there would in fact be a spring semester for her.
“Go on then,” Marnie poked Brenna in the side.
With a grimace, Brenna tipped the bottle to her lips.

At the end of and hour and a half, Brenna was lying on the floor staring up at the ceiling, head to head with Sophie who lay adjacent in the same position. On the couch beside them, Marnie snored softly.
“So he just showed up without warning? The portal opened up and he steps out like, hey how are ya? What an asshole.”
Brenna shrugged, feeling the carpet pull at her sweatshirt, “He came to find me. Whyfor is he an asshole?”
Brenna felt Sophie shift, her hand groping about until it found Brenna's forehead, “Have you got a fever or something? You remember the shit he pulled while he was in college and you were still in school? You talked to him last spring and he said he was still seeing that Gina chick wasn't he? What happened with her huh?”
Brenna crossed her arms though they fell quickly to her sides again. After his father had been taken to prison, Chase became a different person. When he'd graduated and left the school for college, they'd argued incessantly. He'd be too busy either with schoolwork or his job at a small finance firm to visit her at the school. When they'd have time to spend together, he'd always bring her to the frat parties where often enough he would get mad at one of the party goers for looking at her or  fielding some imagined slight and a fight would ensue. The day she had Sophie bring her to the college as a surprise and found him hand in hand with another woman ran a close second to being the worse day of her life.
Still, she couldn't admit she wasn't thrilled to be back in his arms again.
“He left her after he talked to me in April. He says it was a defining moment for him. He realized how very much he had missed me. How very much he loved me.”
“Mmm,” Sophie grunted, “Either that or she dumped him.”
“Sophie, you cast dispersions upon his love for me? How unfair.”
Sophie reached above her head to pat Brenna's cheeks, “Oh honey it's not you. It's him. I just don't want to see you hurt again. Besides, if he's there in....,” Sophie lifted her head to look at Marnie and whispered, “Asgard, and you're here going to college, isn't it sorta going to be the same thing all over again?”
“This is what I meant to speak with you about, “ Brenna shut her eyes, “I am torn between returning in the spring to start college and staying...home with Chase.”
Sophie sat up, turned over to her knees and loomed over Brenna staring into her upside down face, “Wait a minute. We're going to college together remember? Fuck the men. You're going to be a nurse and I'm going to be an architect.”
“What good will I be as a nurse in Asgard?” Brenna sat up nearly connecting with Sophie's forehead, “I have asked myself this question time and again.”
“You said you would stay here to live on Earth. Here you can do a ton of good and maybe....,” Sophie tapped Brenna's temple, “We can figure out a way to fix that glitch in your head. They come up with new advances in the field of medicine every day.”
Brenna put her hands atop her head. Her face felt fuzzy, “I know, I know. I love Midgard, I love you, Sophie. I love being here in New York with you thinking about going to college, learning all I can, walking the streets, shopping, going out, watching movies, eating the food I cannot get at home... Truly I do, but I love Asgard....and I love Chase, no matter what you wish, I love him still and he loves me...”
Sophie took Brenna's face in her hands, “Okay, alright, just lets try this. Let's go to the campus tomorrow and start enrolling you for spring semester because you can't wait until the last minute to register even....even if you change your mind. You wait until February and it'll be too late so give me that at least. If you decide you want to stay in Asgard with Mister Wonderful, so be it. If you decide a petrie dish and late night cramming for exams is more your style, you'll be ready too.”
Brenna nodded, slowly then a bit stronger, “I will take your advice not only because you are right but because I want to see the campus in person. Maybe I shall decide you are the wiser of the two choices....for now....”
“See, I make perfect sense,” Sophie pinched her cheeks, “And you can come to New York for New Year's eve. See it in person for the first time. By then you should be ready for a break from Chase.”
Brenna smiled, “Or he shall be ready for a break from me.”


The aroma of fresh bread roused Colin from sleep. He lay there some time debating on joining the family for the morning meal or stealing out of the manor and heading straight to the longhouses though in the end  his grumbling stomach won out.
The children were playing about Ingrid's feet as she helped Vesta set the table, Fen was already seated at the table whispering something into Helgi's ear. Eidra smiled at Colin as he approached the table. Loki sat beside her, head in his hands. Loud laughter from Cait and Astrid hunched his shoulders further forward as he groaned, “Eidra, I beseech you, settle our brood at the table.”
Eidra rose from her chair, stuck her tongue out at his back and scooped up a giggling Astrid in her arms.
“Brynn, come here. Cait, fetch your brother!” Ingrid called as she lifted Edie into a chair.
Colin fought a smile as he pulled out the chair opposite Loki and sat down.
Loki raised his head to stare at him, “Wine is a harsh mistress is it not?”
“Indeed it is, yer Highness,” Colin winked at Helgi who nodded her assent, casting a disapproving eye toward Loki.
Gretten and Beth exited the kitchen with serving plates, setting them on the sideboard behind Loki.
“Your Highness, Miss Chapel has prepared a special Midgardian dish for the family this morning.”
“Mmm,” Loki waved a hand at him, “Very well.”
Eidra, sitting beside him with Astrid in her lap, sighed loudly, turning to Gretten, “How delightful, whatever is it called?”
“Strata, Milady,” Beth replied, “My mother makes it all the time. It's an egg bread pudding type of dish. It can be sweet or savory. I've prepared both types....along with the usual fare for those of you who aren't interested...”
“Nonsense,” Helgi picked up her plate with trembling hands, “I for one should like to try something new.”
Gretten and Beth retrieved the plates, aided by Vesta, until all were served, Beth placing Colin's plate beside him as she leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Did I hear you right last night? Simon asked to stay in Asgard?”
Colin gave her an imperceptible nod, “Mmmhmm.”
Colin looked up from his plate to see Gretten glaring at Beth from across the room. When he caught Colin's eye, he grinned widely as he took a mug in hand, pouring a stream of rich brown cider into it.
“And they let him?”
“Not now,” Colin mumbled, “Not here.”
She hurried away, returning to Gretten's side. Colin watched them, their heads together as they exchanged a heated flurry of fiercely delivered whispers. As much as he hated to admit it, Loki was probably right.
The majority of people coming here to Asgard would likely go home at the end of their stint but there were those like Simon, Beth...even himself, who were becoming increasingly reluctant to leave with each passing day. Though he wondered if he had overstayed his welcome after the previous evening's events.
“Colin.”
He paused, his fork midway to his mouth, “Yer Highness?”
“I would ride with you to the Longhouses today.”
Colin nodded, “As you wish.”
Eidra gave him an encouraging smile as he brought the fork to his lips. Maybe he hadn't made a complete and total cock up of the whole operation after all....just maybe....