The Deepest Longing

Thor and Tony test the teseract transport module. It is ready. Thor needs to speak with his father in regards to Lilly when he gets back to Asgard. In all likelihood he will be back to retrieve her. Fury insists on going with her if this is the case. He will not let her go to Asgard without representation. Nick brought with him some pretty gnarly chains and cuffs for the prisoner along with a mouth gag that looks like it came from a sex shop, not a jailhouse. Thor hesitates at the mouth gag, deeming it over the top and unnecessary, until the moment when Thor touches the spear to Loki’s chest, giving him back his free will.

The blue glow of the scepter drains away from Loki’s eyes. For moment he is quiet, taking in his surroundings. They are in Central Park. The Avengers are gathered around them. Thor is holding the spear. Lilly is with them. Loki’s hands and feet are bound and chained. Lilly….That insolent mewling stupid quim! “You!” Loki makes like to charge at her but Thor keeps him from getting to close to her physically, so Loki uses his silver tongue to injure her as deeply as possible. “You stupid child! What blind ambition, what foolishness made you think you were capable of wielding the power that I possess! You fools gave a stick of dynamite to a little girl! You filthy little bitch! Do you think yourself worthy of bearing my get! I hope you and the abomination in your womb die together! I hope you….” Thor’s hand comes around Loki’s mouth as the gage he refused earlier is placed on Loki’s face.

All of Loki’s rage radiates from his eyes towards Lilly before Thor yanks on Loki’s chains and leads him over to the spot they’ve chosen for transport. Loki looks down at the transport module in Thor’s other hand. The time has come for him to face his father’s judgment. What will the old fool do with me now, Loki wonders. Considering all the people he has killed, a death sentence is most likely. The anger Loki felt is quickly replaced by panic and fear as Loki realizes that he may only have hours left to live. Thor and Loki grab the transport module and disappear in a wave of blue light.

Odin and Frigga are in their bedchambers having a very heated discussion about their son Loki. “He’s guilty of murdering thousands of people on two different worlds. The people of Asgard are demanding his head Frigga! What would you have me do? The council is not satisfied by a life time prison sentence. They fear he will one day escape, having never learned remorse or guilt for his actions.” Odin booms. “And what of the girl? What of our grandchild? Will you damn them both to death along with him? Our healers cannot help her. They are not Jotunn! Loki is the only person outside of Jotunnheim that can help ensure she carries the child to term and that they both survive.” Frigga thanks the Norns for this latest development, it may yet save her son. “Loki doesn’t even consider us to be his family anymore, nor does he feel any love for the half-breed child he has created.” Odin yells. “If you put him to death I’ll never forgive you.” She says to Odin and walks out.

Thor and Loki appear on the BiFrost under the watchful eyes of Heimdall. They look and are greeted by their mother Frigga, along with an accompaniment of royal guards. “Take the transport back to Midgard and collect that girl.” Frigga says to Thor in a stony tone of voice. “Do not dally, your brother’s life depends on her.” Thor’s eyes go wide with shock at his mother’s words. The guards take Loki into custody and take the spear from Thor’s hands. Frigga and the guards escort Loki down the bridge to the throne room as Thor disappears once again in blue light.

Loki walks in silence with his mother. They dare not discuss anything while surrounded by Odin’s guards. They must wait and hope they are given an opportune moment to speak privately before he faces his father. She said to Thor that his life depended on that girl. Lilly. Loki starts processing the information. Lilly’s pregnancy is precarious. In fact, without his constant presence the life inside her womb is doomed to die, unless the healers in Asgard can find a way to sustain the pregnancy without him. His child, a child in line for the throne. Frigga’s grandchild. Loki knows his mother well enough to know that she not allow it. If his father means to put Loki to death, his sentenced may be delayed at least for the remaining duration of the pregnancy. Roughly 9 months more to live, or at least plot, plan, and conspire to escape if death is to be his true sentence. Yes, his life does depend on that girl.

Lilly is nestled against Steve’s chest crying her eyes out. Lilly cannot stop thinking about the awful things Loki said. More important than that, what happens now? If Thor does not come back for her, can she and her baby survive the pregnancy? And if Thor does come back, will she be punished? Will she be put to death? The gravity of the situation is pressing down on Lilly. Thor said he would need to speak with his father upon returning to Asgard. No one knew if or how long Thor would be before returning, but at least an hour was what most everyone had guessed. So when Thor reappears not 2 minutes later, everyone is a little surprised.
Thor looks around and spots Lilly immediately. Lilly steps out of the Captain’s arms and walks towards him. “What did he s…” Lilly is surprised as Thor quickly wraps his arms around her. Before Steven or any of the others can react they are gone. “NOOOOOOOOO!” Steven screams. Anger and sadness are ripping through his heart. Fury was supposed to go with them. She should not have to face this situation alone. She is innocent and did nothing wrong. Steve walks over to a great big oak nearby and starts punching it in the same spot over and over again embedding splinters into his knuckles. His hands are bleeding profusely but he doesn’t care. If his skin had been green he could have been mistaken for Bruce just then. He shouldn’t have let her out of his arms.

Lilly’s breath is sucked out of her lungs as she feels large strong arms envelope her and her body flies through a rollercoaster of stars and light before landing with a hard thud. Lilly manages to stand up briefly before doubling over and vomiting on the floor. “Are you alright?” Thor asks her. “Yes, you could’ve given me a little more warning.” She says to him. “There was no time for that, we must hurry.” Thor grabs her once again, this time using Mjolnir to fly them through the air to the palace and the throne room where Loki is facing judgment.

Lilly is clinging to Thor for dear life, her waist surrounded by his vice grip. She has her eyes closed for most of it, a fear of heights getting the best of her. What little she does see is very impressive. Gold leaps out to her first and foremost of all the characteristics she sees of the city below. It is breathtaking. All too quickly their little ride is over and Lilly finds herself standing next to Thor outside two very large ornately engraved doors. There is a woman there too, with long red curly hair. “Has Father passed judgment yet?” Thor asks Frigga. “Not yet, I think you got here just in time. He is speaking with Loki now. Enter into the throne room and state the charges against her to your Father and the court. I need to speak with Lilly before she goes in there.”
Thor does as he is told and leaves the women behind to converse. “Listen to me very carefully girl and do as I say if you wish to save your life and that of your child. I know what happened was an accident, neither you nor Loki are at fault for what happened, but under the law you are responsible since Loki had no free will. You are guilty of raping Loki, a crime punishable by death, but you carry his child. Odin will not condemn you to die while you are pregnant, nor does he wish to condemn you at all. But you must be punished in the eyes of the public, and your child must be legitimized. If your baby is born a bastard it will be offered no protections. You must agree to marry Loki. A wife may accompany her husband during incarceration in the dungeons. You need him to carry your child to term. Do you understand? If you refuse then all of you will die today.”

“…..Your birthright was to die! Cast out on a frozen rock. If I had not saved you, you would not be here to hate me now.” Odin’s words echo through the great hall as Thor enters the chambers. Odin’s one eye changes it’s gaze from Loki to Thor. “Come forward my son. What is it you need of me?” “Father, I have brought to Asgard a criminal. She is charged with raping a prince of Asgard, while he was under her control during his confinement on Midgard. I brought her to you that she might face judgment and punishment for her crime.”

“Oh, I see.” Odin says calmly. “Bring in the accused.” Lilly is standing outside the great hall with Frigga when she is suddenly flanked on each side by a palace guard. She squeaks like a little furry animal and looks to Frigga for guidance. Frigga nods quietly and reassuringly before Lilly is ushered into the great room before her. The room is filled with people and all of them are staring, and pointing at her, and muttering amongst themselves. Lilly feels so out of place. For the first time she is acutely aware of the way she is dressed. Everyone around her looks like they came from a movie about the middle ages. Lilly is wearing a short green summer dress with a daisy print and sandals. She looks even smaller and more childlike when surrounded by Thor’s large Aesir countrymen. There are even snickers and hushed laughs from the crowd. The unasked question in the air, How could such a petite girl have raped Loki?

Loki does not turn to look at Lilly as she is ushered forth to stand next to him before Odin. Loki continues to look straight ahead, focusing on nothing. Loki needs to play this right. Odin and Frigga already knew about Lilly, no doubt thanks to Heimdall keeping them apprised of everything that occurred on Midgard. However, the general public knows nothing of Lilly or the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy. “What is your name?” Odin asks Lilly. “Lillian. Lillian Sparrow.” She squeaks. “Loki, my son. Is it true what this girl did? What were the circumstances of her crime?”

Loki speaks facing down and away not looking anyone in the eye. “After my defeat, the spear that I used to control the minds of others was used on me, to detain me since the humans lacked a prison capable of holding me. She was given charge of the spear, and me until such time as I could be returned to Asgard for this trial.” “And what happened when you were under her control?” Odin asks. “I WAS COMPELLED TO FUCK HER!” Loki growls at his father. “Why? Did she wish this simply for her pleasure, or to punish you? What was the reason?” Odin asks, ignoring the growing chatter filling the room. “She desired a child and I was compelled to give her what she desired most.” “You say compelled, did she command you to do this?” “No she did not, nor was she conscious when I performed the act. I was simply pleasing my master.” Loki hisses out the last word. Odin turns his attention back to Lilly. “And did my son succeed in conceiving a child with you?” Lilly nods her head.

Lilly feels like she can ‘t breath. But more than that she is feeling very tired. The last time Loki touched her was at breakfast a few hours ago. He had given her one of his special kisses that morning, feeding her and her child. The purple bags are back under her eyes again and she is starting to feel dizzy. Her skin is very pale, almost blue and she is shivering despite it being a very warm sunny day. “Lillian Sparrow, why did you compel my son to breed with you against his will?” “I didn’t, at least I didn’t mean to. My sister had just given birth and I fell asleep thinking about how badly I wanted a family of my own. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t do it on purpose. I swear!” Lilly says the last words through chattered teeth. Loki and Odin both notice.
Loki finally turns and looks at Lilly. Her lips are turning purple. She is hypothermic. He can tell she is about to collapse. If she loses the child, Odin will have no excuse to stay his execution. Loki’s magic has been bound, but his Jotunn form is natural and cannot be oppressed. Loki realizes he must do the unthinkable. Slowly Loki lets the blue overtake his form in front of the entire court. He steps overs and grabs one of her arms between his two cuffed hands and pulls her in for a kiss. At first a whine of resistance is murmured from Lilly’s mouth until that sweet metallic taste fills her mouth again, strengthening her. She forgets herself and where she is as she pulls Loki close and starts to suck the life out him in front of his Father and the rest of Asgard. Loki pushes her away this time before she weakens him too much. But his knees buckle under him when he lets go of her and he drops to the floor struggling to stay in the sitting up position at least.

“You look much recovered Miss Sparrow. What was that, that you did just now there Loki?” Loki is still panting when he says, “Our child is in distress. Her human form is having difficulty sustaining the pregnancy of her half Frost Giant offspring. I have been giving her regular transfusions of vital minerals harvested from my own body as well as regulating her temperature and that of our child with my touch. They will both die if I do not continue this aid.”
“I see, and you wish for this child and it’s mother to live, though she forced you to breed against your will, this human girl?” Loki nods at this. “Aye, Allfather I wish it.” Odin notes that Loki referred to him as Allfather and not father. Lilly’s mind is spinning. Not even an hour ago Loki had said horrible things to her, to include wishing her and the baby to die painful deaths. Lilly remembers what Frigga said and keeps her mouth shut. “Very well then, I have made a decision as to the punishment of you both.”

Odin rises, “I, Odin the Allfather, hereby sentence you Loki and you Lillian to a lifetime of forced marriage. You shall be the punishment for each other. In addition, you shall both be imprisoned in the palace dungeons until such time that the child is born or the pregnancy ends in failure. At which time, I will decide upon the rest of your sentence. There are many here, present in court today, that would have me put you to death Loki, which I may yet still do. Give me a reason not to my son.”

Notes