United Chapter 46

Fen's bouncing on the bed to wake them, did just that. Eidra opened her eyes and looked at Loki. “We shall have to tie him down. Perhaps you should use your petrifying spell. It works well with your brother.”
Loki smiled but her view was soon replaced with Fen's face lying between them. “Is it yet time to go?”
“What about the morning meal?” She drew him to her, kissed his cheek as he struggled to free himself.
“Mama I am too excited to eat.”
“Well Cait will not be. She will wish to eat first,” Even now she could hear Cait stirring in the cradle as Loki rose to fetch her.
“I cannot wait, Mama!” Fen bounced back off the bed and ran out to the portico, looking out over the railing at the city below.
“Fen you stay well away from there!” Eidra called to him. Loki set Cait in her arms and she felt the heavy wetness at her bottom. “You are soaked my little lamb.”
Loki walked out to the portico to stand beside Fen. “When we are on Midgard, you will see many wondrous things. We have let the machine age pass us by here on Asgard. Magic is our machine.”
“What will I see, Papa?”
Loki looked out to the Bifrost, some distant. “You shall see horseless wagons, moving paintings, flying machines...”
“Flying machines? So the Midgardians have magic too?” Fen peered over the edge of the railing and Loki put his hand on the collar of his robe,
“Come away, must you give your mother fits?” As if on cue, he heard Eidra. “Loki, will you pull him away from there.”
“But you must behave while we are there. Do you ken? You must remember your manners. You will show them the person of a prince of the realm.”
“Are you excited Papa? I miss Brenna.”
Loki nodded, “I miss her. I would she were coming here instead of us traveling there.”
Fen ran back into the room just as Helgi opened the door with a tray of food, “I knew you would be awake.”
She brought the tray to the dressing table and sat it down coming over to the bed where Eidra was changing Cait. “She was wet through.” Eidra indicated the wet nappy on the marble floor beside the bed.
Helgi sat down, “Are you entirely sure you wish me to go with you today?”
Eidra clucked her tongue, “It is no longer up for discussion. You raised Brenna for six seasons on your own, do you not wish to see her as well?”
“Of course I do.” Helgi puffed out her chest, “She is my little lamb.”
“It will be fine. There is nothing to fear.” Eidra patted her arm, then picked up Cait handing her into Helgi's outstretched arms. “We must hurry and eat, it will soon be time to leave.”


Heimdall regarded Loki and Thor with a cynical eye. “What manner of dress do they call this?”
Thor straightened his jacket, “Suits, Heimdall. We wish to fit in on Midgard.”
“By all means.” Heimdall crossed his massive arms, “One would not expect an Asgardian to stand out.” He looked to the women and Fen. “In the very least, they are well attired.”
Thor sighed and gave a short bow, “Heimdall, may we pass to the Bifrost?”
Loki heard a mumbled “Oh dear.” from Helgi as Heimdall reached for the iron rings of the gates and started to pull backwards on them. They came apart with a loud screech, slowly, revealing the landing pad atop the S.H.I.E.L.D offices, outlined against a steel gray sky. Loki looked behind him at Eidra who held Cait, Helgi gripping Fen's hand tightly, her other hand covering her eyes then he gestured to Thor, “Shall we?” and they stepped through..

...As the hatchway door to the landing pad flipped open. Fury, followed by four other agents and flanked by Tony Stark, approached the group, taking Thor's hand and shaking it. “Thanks for the heads up. We notified Miss Munro at the school that you were expected today.”
The wind was sharp, biting but Fury heard the whisper, “Dark elf?” and found the speaker, a short elderly woman watching him with great round eyes.
“No Ma'am, American, Haitian on my mother's side. Let's get out of this wind.”
He ushered the group through the hatchway. Eidra, passing the agents, spied Lily who smiled and gave a small wave. Fen tugged Helgi along, exclaiming at everything he saw until, once inside, Loki rescued her taking Fen with him. Stark fell in beside him. “Nice suit. I knew I had good taste. I've got a dress for your wife and a suit for the boy. Didn't expect you to bring your maid with you. I'll have to call Pepper.”
Fen kept stumbling as he attempted to take everything in, the massive jet which nearly filled the room they had entered, the agents, Fury. When they reached the elevator doors which slid open, Helgi stepped back, “Whatever is this?”
Stark moved to her side, taking her arm, “My dear lady this is an elevator, a lift if you will. This box will take us to whatever floor we wish to visit.”
Helgi pulled her arm from his grasp, “Well I wish to visit this floor. Is there no other way to reach our destination?”
Stark raised an eyebrow to the group, noting Loki's wide smile, “Well there are stairs to each floor but this is much quicker.”
“Show me the stairs then. Of them I am sure.”
Stark held his hands up in the air, “Anybody?”
Even Fury had to grin as he hit the button for the third floor, “See you in the briefing room.” he waved as the door slid shut and the elevator began to descend, putting his hands behind his back, “That was oddly satisfying.”

They had been seated for almost five minutes when the briefing room door slid open and in walked Helgi and Stark who flopped into the nearest chair, face red, dripping with sweat, “You guys owe me.”
Helgi, on the other hand, shook her head, “You have not done a hard days work in your life have you.”
Fury had pulled out a chair for her and with a nod she sat down, Fury leaned over, chuckled “I like you.” and stood again, “Now it is almost eight. We'll keep it quick. I expect you to be on the road by eight thirty. It'll take about an hour and a half to reach the school due to traffic at this hour. We are sending on an agent with you just as a precaution. The limousine will return to the school at eight this evening, pick you up and deliver you back here. Are we all on the same page?”
Eidra leaned over to Loki, “Page?”
Thor stood up from the table, “We are in accord.”
On the other side of the table, Stark was talking on his cell phone, “Yes, middling age.....I don't know.” He looked Helgi over, “Two hundred?....Jarvis should have her stats by now, I sent him the picture...” Helgi was staring at him and he acknowledged her with a smile.
“Are you speaking to me, Master Stark?”
He pointed to his cell, “Phone, I'm speaking to my assistant”
Helgi peered closely at the small square in his hand, “That is your assistant?”
He held up his hand to her as he resumed speaking, “What....I don't know, Pepper.....kindly old lady style?...ow!” Helgi had given his arm a pinch.
“I will show you old! You could not even keep up on the stairs with me.”
He slid his chair away from her, still speaking with Pepper, “And hurry alright? We're on a tight schedule.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in the parking garage waiting for the limousine. Eidra was appraising the dress Stark's assistant had brought to the office for Helgi. She'd chosen a navy blue skirt with a matching blazer and a grey blouse. A little cameo sat at the throat. Her shoes being completely forgotten, Helgi wore the boots she'd come with. “I think it looks very nice on you.”
Helgi adjusted the blazer, “It is stiff, unforgiving.” She shrugged, “The cut is suitable, I suppose.”
Eidra looked then to Loki, admiring him. He had chosen to wear the dark grey suit and midnight blue button up shirt Tony had given to him. He had tucked his hair behind his ears and she noted he was chewing his lip as he always did when nervous. A turn of his head and he caught her gaze, giving her a smile, mouthing the words, “You look lovely.”
Stark had provided her with a dark green jersey dress, low cut, she was relieved to see. It would make nursing Cait much easier. It clung to her curves, an aspect she lamented though Loki often told her she was as ravishing as the day he'd met her.
Fen had wandered to a nearby car and was hopping up and down to see inside the windows. “How do they move?”
Loki took him by the shoulder, steering him by the shoulder, back to the group, “They are powered by a device called an engine which takes a liquid called gasoline in and converts it to energy, now stay still.”
He looked around to see Stark staring at him, “That's a very good description.”
Loki felt Fen wrap himself around his arm, “Papa knows everything.”
“You know what, he told me the same thing.”

Lily tickled Cait under the chin. “I can't believe how big she is now.”
Eidra smiled, “She is such a happy baby too. She sleeps through the night most of the time.” she wiped Cait's mouth free of drool. “And I believe she is starting to cut teeth. Tell me, do you still knit?”
Lily held up a small scarf draped around her neck, “Yes I do, when I manage to get home at a decent hour, I relax with some mindless TV and my knitting.”
“Is it not a joy?” Eidra put her hand on Lily's arm, “I do wish we would be able to see some new patterns while we were here. I would love to show Helgi. She would be beside herself, she taught me to knit.”
Helgi stepped back when the limousine came to a halt before them and the driver hopped out. Stark was already opening the door for them. Fen shot forward, clear to the other side of the car, his face pressed against the tinted window. Lily slid in next and held her hands out to Eidra, “I'll strap the baby in the car seat.”
Eidra handed her off as they all filed in. Helgi stood apart, staring at the front of the limo until finally Stark tapped her on the arm, “Please don't tell me you'd rather walk.”
She glanced at the door, “Is there a choice?”
Stark shook his head, “Not this time.”
She closed her eyes, opened them, and climbed inside to sit beside Eidra. Stark was the last in, the door shutting behind him as he settled in next to Thor. “Okay then, everyone ready?”
Helgi pulled Fen down to sit beside her, “No.”
“Good,” He tapped on the long window behind his head.

After a few minutes, when the panic had worn off, Helgi sat with Fen, peering in wonder at the city outside the window.
“Papa, there are so many palaces here.”
Loki could see the buildings rising high above them through the skylight, fighting back a half remembered scene in the back of his mind.
“They are filled with people who live there but they are not palaces. They are called skyscrapers.”
“So,” Stark had stretched his legs out and leaned back into the seat, “How are things down on the farm?”
Loki watched Fen point at the line of yellow taxis outside, “It is our quiet time. We hunt most often now. Our mare was delivered of a foal just recently.”
“Papa named him Agathon.” Fen piped up.
Thor kept an eye on Stark, concerned he was baiting his brother, “He has a fine farm, with large fields.”
“Do you give tours?” Stark nudged him and Thor tensed as Loki turned his attention to the conversation.
“If I were willing to do so, you would be the first guest on my list.”
Stark looked at Thor, then back to Loki and back to Thor once again as Loki returned his gaze to the window, “Tony Stark speechless, I do believe history has been made.”
Tony stared around the limousine, slapped his hands on his knees, “Anyone care for a drink?”


Sophie pulled Brenna's hair back for the third time, trying to twist it into a french roll. Brenna, meanwhile, was dabbing at her eyes, sniffling.
“Brenna, you have got to pull yourself together.” Sophie muttered.
Brenna nodded and Sophie groaned as the roll slipped through her fingers, “Okay next time just say yes, don't move.”
“I am sorry. I am so very worried. A whole day with my family? With my father? And my boyfriend and my best friend?”
“Hey, what am I going to do wrong?”
Brenna waved her hands at Sophie, “Oh no, I did not mean it to come out like that. I am not worried about your actions, rather I am worried about the impression my family will make upon everyone else.”
Sophie pulled the two rolls together and secured them at the back of Brenna's head with a heart shaped barrette. “That's so pretty. Go look.”
Brenna stood before the bathroom mirror, turning her head from side to side, “I love it but look at my face. It is all red from crying.”
“Well then stop crying.” Sophie took a wash cloth, wet it with cold water and patted Brenna's face. “Now let's get your makeup on then you can put on your dress. There's going to be plenty of things for them to do. Miss Munro is going to give them a tour of the school, that will take up some time.”
“And parade my father around the school for all to see.”
“So, my parents come here. It doesn't bother me if people see them.”
Brenna felt the anger rising to the surface as she thought for the thousandth time about what Mister Stark had showed her. She had admitted, but only to Chase, she was afraid for the students to see her father, had admitted she did not want them to confirm what she was convinced had been all lies. What if they panicked? What if they recognized him from pictures, there seemed to be enough of them online, and of good enough quality. She knew her father, was sure that he was incapable of murder, the students, though, did not, could not because they did not know him.
She felt more tears coming and slapped her hands onto the porcelain of the sink. “I cannot do this!”
Sophie sat down on the closed toilet, elbows on her knees, “Keep saying that and you'll have yourself convinced you can't. Come on Bren, aren't you the least bit happy they're coming?”
She nodded, “Sophie, I cannot wait to see my mother and my little brother and sister.”
“Gee, why do you hate your father so much?” Sophie stood up and took her makeup bag, setting on the back of the toilet.
Brenna spun around, “I do not hate my father!” She took the towel hanging over the towel rack and wiped her face dry, “I fear him. I hate when he yells at me, when he disapproves of everything I do. When he treats me as a child.”
“I get scared of my dad too when I've done something wrong, and he yells at me, and disapproves of things I do but I know he loves me.”
“How?”
Sophie unscrewed the face powder jar, “He tells me.”
“He does?”
“Well yes, all the time. Whenever we talk on the phone, he ends by saying, “bye darlin' I love you.” And I say it back.” She started to dust Brenna's face with the fine powder to even out her skin, then paused. “Didn't your father do the same when he left to go somewhere, or when he came home, or when you went to bed at night? Kiss and a hug?”
“I kiss and hug my mother. I bid my father good night respectfully.” she bit her lip, no more tears today. Not one.
“Wow, Bren, I'm sorry...I don't know what to say.”
“There is nothing to say, it is how he is. We have never kenned one another.”
Sophie reached for her blush, “Well,” she started to brush color along Brenna's cheekbones,
“now is as good a time to change as any.”

Fen lay half across Helgi's lap, asleep. Eidra too, had succumbed to the movement of the limo, leaning into the car seat, her hand resting on the car seat before a sleeping Cait. Loki reached over and shook her knee, “My heart, look.”
Eidra's eyes flew open as she stared about the interior, “What?” felt the limo turn and was able to catch a glimpse of a stone arch with black iron gates thrown wide, “Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters” Loki read aloud.
Fen's head came up from Helgi's lap, “Are we there yet.”
Lily laughed, “It seems no matter where you go, children ask the same question.”

Brenna was buttoning up her dress. She'd chosen her green linen number with the miniature pink roses and a pair of black flats. She was down to the last two buttons when she happened to look out the window in her room and saw a long black limousine winding up the driveway. She felt cold fingers race up her spine and jumped as a knock came at her doorway and Chase entered with Sophie behind him.
“Hey, you ready? Aren't they going to be here pretty soon?”
She pointed out the window, “They already are.”