Choices

Chapter 142
It was hard to believe that a day had gone by since the war ended. Many were in the healing rooms, some with minor injuries and others not so lucky.
Death was a common thing in wars and so a funeral was held as soon as possible to send those victims on to Valhalla. Among them was their beloved King.
Frigga followed through with the plan to make it look as though Odin died in the war. The city wept for their fallen father. Tony had quit his arguing and by morning had moved his way on to working on finding a way home.
Seraphina hadn't left the healing room and remained at Fandrals side, a fact that made Cephera smile.
Steve finally had a chance to fill Peggy and Howard in on what had happened to them. It was Natasha who pointed out the biggest problem with them being in the wrong world.
"Without Peggy or Howard, who will create SHIELD. Who will be there to defend that world from Tyr?" She'd said.
It was a fact none of them considered until she'd said it. The reality was that even though their world was safe, it was nothing more than a trade off.
Suvia hadn't spoken to anyone. She remained in the throne room refusing to leave. When Cephera finished checking on everybody that morning, she went directly to her.
Cephera hadn't slept well, but Suvia looked as though she hasn't slept for days. "You cannot stay in here. You must eat." Cephera urged her finding Suvia knelt down near the largest pile of rubble.
"I cannot rest till I find him." Suvia insisted her voice weak.
"If you do not rest or eat you will perish and then who will be left to hunt him down?" Cephera rubbed the elder woman's back. Suvia sighed deeply, her shoulders sinking.
"We should have locked him away when we had the chance. I should have known he'd have more planned. Should have known it had all been too easy." Cephera forced the shard of the pool from Suvia's hand. She'd been gripping it so tight it was beginning to cut her.
"You are not to blame. He was one step ahead for a long time. We couldn't have known he had this waiting." Cephera gestured around. It would take a long time to repair the damage done to the palace. The throne room, of course, receiving the brunt of the destruction.
"He wrecks havoc in this new world and I sit here just as helpless as before. The struggles I faced to get here only to be left behind again." It broke Cephera's heart to see the look of pure agony on Suvia face.
"Loki will help you analyze what's left of the pool fragments. Frigga too, I'm sure. Suvia, you are not alone this time. You have all of us and we will help you." Cephera wished she could bring Suvia some comfort or some small amount of joy.
She'd suffered so much loss already, Cephera just wanted to see her smile. "Loki?" Suvia questioned as if the idea was foreign. "You are lucky that your life has turned out how it did." Suvia turned to Cephera. "Sometimes I envy you."
Suvia didn't sound as if she loathed Cephera. In fact, she embraced her tightly. "Come on. You need rest. Wake with a clear head, and look at all this with fresh eyes and rejuvenated energy." Cephera helped Suvia off the floor and escorted her to a room.
(Seraphina)
There was no way to tell anyone outside Asgard that everything was okay. It was frustrating. Seraphina would have liked to tell Rorik of his fathers condition. He'd have liked to be there, just in case.
It was the just in case that had Seraphina so emotionally wrecked. She tried not to think about it. She had plans and they did not involve Fandral's death.
With Tony and Bruce's research, she could very well be on the verge of having more children. She'd already decided that Fandral was the one to help her achieve that.
He'd done so much for her. Been there for her in ways no one else could be. He knew her limits and respected them. He understood her, like no other man could. Faced with the worry of losing him completely made her feel empty, panicked even.
A deep intake of air and coughing alerted Seraphina to Fandral's waking, his eyes half open, and a dry cough parting his lips. Quickly, she grabbed a glass of water and helped him drink it.
Afterwards, Fandral took a deep breath and gave her a half grin. "It's over?" He asked her.
"It is." She replied.
"How'd it go?" He asked attempting to sit up and failing.
"Lie down, idiot." Seraphina commanded, rolling her eyes. But the eye roll was mostly to keep herself from crying tears of joy. "We won, but Tyr escaped to yet another world." Seraphina frowned and so did Fandral.
"Thanos?" He asked while indicating he wanted more water. She helped him drink as she answered.
"Also escaped, though not on purpose. He was thrown into the portal." Seraphina sighed. "Asgard is in a bit of a ruin, but as it turns out Frigga was never dead. Tyr had made it look like she was to use her as a bargaining chip for his freedom. We found her without his help." Seraphina gave a weak smile.
"That's good news." He answered smiling back. "Have you been here long?" He looked around his private room.
"No, just got here." Seraphina lied. She didn't need sap added to the list of new things to call her. Fandral smirked, but didn't reply. Seraphina muddled over her next thought a moment, feeling jittery in her belly. "When you're all healed up..., marry me?"
She said it quick so she wouldn't bite he tongue. Fandral gazed at her with big surprised eyes and Seraphina felt like slapping him. "What?" He asked finding his voice.
"You heard me, yes or no. It's not that hard." Seraphina chided.
She was not amused by his amusement. It only made her feel that much more awkward. "I'm not sure you can handle that kind of commitment." Fandral teased.
Seraphina suppressed her urge to poke him. His wound was still healing after all. "It would be no different than our arrangement when I was pregnant and we were raising Rorik." She replied her fingers clenches hard into fists to keep herself on track.
"Really? So you intend to keep this between us then?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I can't have you going around getting other woman pregnant when soon enough I'll be available for such a thing." She knew she sounded absurd. But this was her. This was as close as she could currently get to expressing herself.
"Ahh, yes. Of course." His smirk widened.
"Don't press your luck." She warned, now on the edge of her tolerance.
"How could I say no?" He asked. "You might kill me if I did." Seraphina did jab him this time, narrowing her eyes and forcing herself to continue to look irritated by his teasing. "Of course I will." He choked.
Inside her mind she smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Now don't die between now and then, or I'll regret even asking. You know how I hate that feeling," she warned him.
Fandral was cringing only slightly. "I wouldn't dream of it." He replied.
"Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Taking care of me on my sick bed. Do massages come with this treatment?" He asked.
"Don't get cocky." She growled.
"Yes. I'm famished." He said in earnest. Seraphina left the room, unable to control her giddy feeling any longer.
She'd done it. She'd committed herself to a life long relationship. Her sister would be proud, but Seraphina had enough emotion for one day. She had no intentions of telling anyone until later.
While she was gone she had time to reflect Fandrals responses and the more she thought on them the more she smiled. He hadn't once asked her those irritating questions of 'are you sure?' Or brought up the fact that she never wanted this before.
He didn't question the woman she is or was. He teased her and those qualities are what made him special. He was aware that she would have withdrawn had he become an well of concerned questions and sudden 'I love You's'.
He knew her. He respected her. He knew her boundaries and thinking back throughout their lives, he never passed those boundaries. He'd always let her lead the way. He never questioned her motives and always stepped aside to give her space. How did she find such a perfect man for her?
Seraphina thought of Cephera and the 'I told you so' that Seraphina probably deserved but her sister wouldn't have the heart to say. For years Cephera had been a big fan of Seraphina being with Fandral on a more committed level but Seraphina denied it.
In a way she'd opened herself up like she never thought she would. To some she'd have seemed cold, but not to those who knew her best.
It was a nice feeling, being accepted for who she was and not who people thought she should be. She was beginning to realize she had the best family and friends a girl could possibly ask for.
(Steve)
They should have been planning something, but for once Steve put aside his duty and enjoyed what he couldn't before. He took time to himself and brought Peggy to the ballroom. It was not in the best condition, but it was better than most rooms.
Together, they danced in slow circular motions to nothing but the sound of their heartbeats. Neither speaking for the longest time. It hadn't mattered to them that they came from different worlds, they carried the same past and the same pains.
He'd missed her so much. His visits with the Peggy of his world left him feeling melancholy for a life he could have had.
"I don't want to go back," she said after a long time in silence. She flexed her hand that was gripped in his and secured her fingers tighter. "Is that so wrong?" She asked.
"No. I don't want you to go back either, but who will protect that world?" Steve felt guilty. He'd had the same thoughts as Peggy. Her staying would be the best thing for his heart, but potentially devastating for the other world. Could he really sacrifice that many people for his own hearts desire.
Neither of them could. It was a sad truth that they were both bound to duty. The protection of their worlds was something they didn't take lightly.
"I feel as though I'm losing you a second time," she said.
"We are lucky to even have this second time." Steve replied stopping their movements. Peggy looked him in the eyes and reached up. Her hand moved through the ends of his hair and Steve bent his head and kissed her.
It had been their first kiss since that one time before he'd been frozen in ice. "You could find me there." He told her when the kiss ended.
"But I already have you here." She replied and kissed him again. Steve lost his train of thought, unable to think clearly with the softness of her lips on his.
He gave in. For the time being they continued to dance and kiss and dance some more. They weren't sure how much time they would have together, but every moment needed to count for something.

Notes

Sorry I couldn't upload to this site for last chapter (my and this site had connecting problems) so today you get this and the next one. :)