Choices

Chapter 91
She walked beside Thor silently. She has no words to say. She was leaving her second home to join a new one and she wasn't happy about it. She hated saying goodbye to the Queen, her second mother. She owed her a lot for the years she'd been so motivating and kind. She'd accepted Cephera long before being married into the family.
Her heart was only half content with her reconciliation with her husband, but Cephera still had many unresolved issues and problems. There were very mixed feeling over her child, the yearning to go to her home world and help with the mystery there.
How did everything become so screwed up?
She wanted to believe the worst was over, but she couldn't shake the idea that the worst was yet to come and they'd only gotten a taste. If that was true she hated to know what the future had in store.
"The people I've placed you with are eager to meet you." Thor tried conversing after a lengthy silence.
Cephera was unsure why Thor has chosen to use the Byfrost to set them down outside a large city and take a taxi, but she supposed it was to talk to her.
"Do they know I am Loki's wife?" She asked looking at the terrain as they exited the city toward the mountains.
"I thought it best to allow them to get to know you first to avoid prejudice." Thor replied, frowning.
"And to tell them later would be withholding information and would give them no reason to trust me and in fact would cause them to be suspicious," she said. "They should know outright. I'll deal with the prejudice. After what Loki did, I understand the humans being cautious."
She was not ashamed to be who she was. She was not ashamed to tell them she loved her husband and she was not afraid to agree that he had done wrong. Cephera would not hide from those things.
"Very well," Thor replied.
"Who are they?" She continued. If he wanted to talk then perhaps she should let him.
"His name is Tony Stark."
"The wealthy arrogant one?" She replied raising an eyebrow. When Loki had found out she was going to Earth, he'd told her about Thor's new friends.
"He can be..., odd." Thor admitted. "But he has a good heart."
"That's not why you placed me with him? I mean for a good heart you could have gone with this Captain Steve Rogers." She smirked at the look on Thor's face.
"I chose him for his housing. He can easily home you and your child and enough coin to keep you happy and comfortable." Thor rubbed his nose. "And besides he has a woman, Pepper they call her. She is willing to help with the child, I doubt Captain Rogers is familiar with babies, and the others have critical jobs not suited for a child to be around."
"You really gave this a lot of thought, didn't you?" Cephera didn't mean to sound surprised, but she was. After everything she'd gone through with Thor, and the years of silence it did surprise her.
"I owe it to you after everything..., and to Loki. Someone needs to make sure you are cared for, he is still my brother and I still love him." Cephera smiled, reached over and squeezed Thor's hand.
"Thank you," she said with a nod. "So does he live in the wilderness?" She mused watching the lonely road as it kept going around the hills.
"He's a bit famous and so his home is located in a secluded area overlooking water. It's large." Thor grinned.
"I like the water." Cephera noted and Thor didn't answer, he knew this about her.
"If you need anything, call to Heimdall and he shall fetch myself or my mother." Thor informed her.
"I wish I could visit." She frowned pulling at the skirt of her modern day sundress. When she knew she was going to earth, she inquired about what weather to expect so she could dress accordingly. It would be her first back to Earth, but she'd studied it enough over the passing years to have general knowledge.
"If it were safer," he began and stopped. They both knew why she couldn't go back. "We will find whose done this to you, and we will see you return to Asgard and even to your home lands again." He assured her.
Even though she nodded, deep down she couldn't help but wonder when that would be. How long would she be trapped on Earth because her enemies were being careful and evasive.
"There it is," Thor pointed to the distance. On the far side of a cliff, sat a rounded house that was indeed quite large.
"It's pretty," Cephera tried her best to feel excited, like going on a vacation, but it was hard to see it that way.
***
Finally arriving, they were greeted by a pretty red head. "Hello Thor," she said almost oddly. Cephera supposed that it was still weird to greet a 'God'.
"This is my sister, Princess Cephera Drogo," Thor introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Cephera replied extending her hand and shaking the woman's. "You must be Pepper,"
Pepper nodded. "I'm sorry, Tony got caught up in his toys." She apologized when Thor began looking around.
"Toys?" Cephera asked, wondering what kinds of 'toys' a grown man might be playing with.
"His inventions," Pepper replied. "Come in, are you hungry?"
"I ate before leaving Asgard," Cephera said, "but thank you." She added.
"I'm afraid I cannot stay," Thor said backing out a little. "The nine realms need my attention."
"Of course," Pepper nodded politely.
"Give the man of iron my regards." He told Pepper. "I will be back to check on you as soon as I can," he turned to Cephera.
"Thank you, Thor, brother." Cephera threw her arms around Thor's waist before letting him go.
He walked to the road and the Byfrost opened up and swollowed him as Pepper was yelling, "we'll take good care of her!"
When the light of the Byfrost was gone, Pepper turned to Cephera. "Let's get you situated. Thor said you like the water, I chose a nice room for you with a view, very comfortable." Pepper assured her.
Cephera smiled and followed Pepper to the room. It was large enough for Cephera, she didn't have much anyhow. The closet was already full of clothing. Cephera certainly hoped Thor reimbursed these people for using their hard earned money on her, however, she didn't dare ask.
"Over here is the bathroom and this door," Pepper said as she moved through the bathroom to another door. "Opens up to the room we can use for your baby. I thought you might like to decorate it yourself." Pepper looked proud.
"You didn't have to do all of this," Cephera felt almost overwhelmed with the hospitality.
"It gave Tony a chance to break things and construct things." Pepper shrugged. Cephera knew her mouth dropped. They'd renovated to accommodate her a proper room for her and her unborn child.
"I don't know what to say," Cephera began, breathless.
"You don't have to say anything. I, for one, am glad to have another female around." Pepper's smile seemed genuine and so Cephera just nodded and thanked her.
***
Cephera was left to look around her room and get comfortable. She admired the stucture of the room. The vaulted ceiling, the calming yellow paint on the walls. The lush comforter and soft cotton sheets underneath would make for a good sleep, if she could manage to fall asleep.
There were scented candles displayed on the long dresser and on on the kitchen sink. The tub was deep and accommodating. Soaps of different scents were available as were towels and cloths. There was nothing not thought of.
The variety of things only reminded Cephera that her stay was not to be short, but perhaps very long. This was not a hotel, this was not a visit, this was her new home.
Her stomach turned into a knot and her eyes burned at the thought, but she refused to cry. She'd done enough crying when Loki had been presumed dead and more when she'd learned she'd slept with a man who wasn't him. She was done with sadness.
When Cephera ventured from the room, she must have turned the wrong way as she didn't find the staircase she'd been searching for. She came upon a closed door with a buttons panel beside it. Reaching up, she touched the flat glowing numbers out of curiosity.
"That's a restricted area, Miss Potts can be found downstairs in the kitchen." A voice told her. It was loud and seemed to echo off the walls.
Startled, Cephera jumped back and away from the door. She turned and rushed down the hall, muttering an apology on the way. She found the stairs and hurried down them. She found Pepper in the kitchen preparing what could be supper for later.
"Everything to your liking? Do you need anything?" Pepper asked stopping her cutting of vegetables.
"No, thank you. I'm afraid I might have offended someone upstairs. I was curious over that panel of numbers." Cephera frowned. She didn't want to offend anyone.
"Oh, that's Jarvis."
"I thought it was only yourself and Mr Stark who lives here." Cephera blushed.
"Oh no, Jarvis is the computer who runs the house." Cephera stared in shock.
"I've never heard of a computer running an entire home, is that a new invention?"
"It's mine," a mans voice told her coming up from behind. "You're not going to break anything are you?" He asked her coming around her and grabbing one of the cut veggies and popping it into his mouth. "If you don't know what it is, ask." He added.
"Tony," Pepper gave him a disapproving look.
"Did Thor break something?" Cephera asked.
"He became very angry when he came here to talk about you and my toaster 'ate' his pop-tart'." The man Cephera assumed as Tony Stark seemed weary over aliens in his home.
"Well I know more about Earth and your technology than Thor does. My mother was of Earth and I've done study on it these past centuries." She assured him.
"Your mother was human? A half sister then." Pepper interjected before Tony could continue his conversation.
"No, married into his family." Cephera replied, waiting for the bomb to go off.
"How many siblings does Thor have?" Tony asked. "I hope he's not like Loki." Tony entered behind the counter as he spoke.
"Thor has only one brother, Mr Stark, I am wife to Loki." She replied. She almost felt the thud as the information smacked him.
"Thor neglected to mention that." Tony looked to Pepper almost irritated.
"He wished to save me from prejudice." She told him.
"I suppose that makes sense considering your husband is a maniac." Tony scratched his head, he didn't seem too sure what to do with this information.
"I don't agree with what Loki has done. I've told him so." She stood her ground.
"So they allow conjugal visits in prison then, he is in a cell right?" Pepper jabbed Tony but he barely flinched as he stared directly at Cephera.
"The child, regretfully, is not Loki's." She admitted, shame washing over her face.
"Thank god for that," Tony wiped his forehead and cried out, Pepper had stomped on his foot and hissed his name.
"I'm sorry," Pepper quickly said. Cephera was too stunned to speak. The nerve of him to say it floored her.
"I only meant that it's good he's locked away."
"You're not helping. Sorry," Pepper insisted. "He has no brain to mouth filter."
"Like my sister," Cephera finally replied, deciding to take Tony Stark's words with a grain of salt. "Tell me Mr. stark, do you think my husbands actions should reflect my right to have his child? To be unable to become a proper mother?"
"Isn't it better this way? He's in a prison, what kind of father could he be there. I'm just saying it might be better for you to move forward." Cephera shook her head.
"The father of my child was a man whose name or face I don't know. I was...," she didn't know the word to use for it. Tricked sounded almost like an sad excuse, and raped seemed harsh. Her hesitation seemed to fill her word in for her, Tony swallowed hard and seemed to lose his cocky argument.
Everyone was silent. "I was told you could be insulting," Cephera said, breaking the quiet. "My sister would enjoy a conversation with you." She added.
"Intereting," was all Tony said. It would seem he hit a wall for his mouth. She'd landed him a embarrassing blow at his immediate assumptions. "Welcome," he said after trying to look innocent and Pepper just glared.

Notes