Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 81

DiNozzo came into work the following day as white as a sheet. Loki, already sitting at his desk, smirked at the agent as he shot a glare at the god.

"Find everything all right this morning?" Loki asked smugly.

"I hate you," DiNozzo muttered, slouching into his seat. "Where's McGhee with our coffee? I need a good thing to happen this morning."

"I'm right here," McGhee said, entering the squad room. "Hazelnut for you, Tony, plain for Loki and Gibbs, a latte for Bishop, and a caramel frappuchino for me."

Loki frowned at the fancy looking, whipped cream topped drink that McGhee deposited proudly on his desk after handing out the other coffee to the agents and just leaving Gibbs' on his desk. "What is that?"

"It's a frappuchino," McGhee said. "Tomorrow, I'll get you one, Loki."

"But why?" Loki asked, furrowing his brow. "It's pure sugar. It's like having a milkshake for breakfast."

DiNozzo looked at him. "Wait a minute. How do you know what a milkshake is?"

Loki tilted his head. "Do you think my only experiences on Midgard before meeting you guys were limited to battle and imprisonment?"

DiNozzo and McGhee exchanged a glance as Bishop just rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yes?" McGhee said, furrowing his brow.

"Well, there was that party you went to in Germany," DiNozzo pointed out. "Even if you weren't exactly there for the wine tasting."

"Thor took me to get...fast food the day before he brought me here," Loki told them. "Apparently, Stark had given him a Midgard scavenger hunt/bucket list he had to complete for some reason. Fast food was one of the items on the list. So he got me a milkshake and fries."

DiNozzo snorted. "Thor? Ordering at a fast food joint?" Standing, the agent pointed dramatically across the room at Gibbs' empty desk and bellowed in his best Thor impression, "You, mortal! I desire a shake of milk and fries from your finest potatoes! No, wait: bring me another!"

McGhee and Loki burst out laughing; Bishop grinned and shook her head at DiNozzo.

"On your feet, Laufeyson," Gibbs barked, coming around the corner and striding through the squad room. He snatched his coffee up off his desk without stopping. "Come with me."

The laughter subsiding, Loki jumped out of his chair and followed Gibbs towards the elevator.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling worry congeal in his stomach. Gibbs didn't reply, just ushered him into the elevator and thumbed the button for the second floor. As soon as the cab began to move, he flicked the emergency off switch and the elevator halted, the lights dimming. "Is...is this about Rule 12? Gibbs, I –"

"This isn't about Rule 12," Gibbs interrupted, turning to face Loki. His expression was serious. "Your brother showed up here this morning."

"And?" Loki demanded. "Thor was just here yesterday; what could he want?"

Gibbs pressed his lips together. "Laufeyson, your father has lifted your punishment."

Loki furrowed his brow. "What punishment?" Then all at once, it flashed back to him, why he had joined NCIS in the first place.

"Frigga is the only reason you're still alive and you will never see her again."

Instead of allowing Odin to execute him for his war crimes, Frigga had convinced his father that a period of volunteer work with a government agency would be more suitable than the axe.

"You cannot treat him worse than you treated Thor for the same crime. He is your son."

"What do you mean by that?" Loki asked, feeling the worry in his stomach twist itself into a knot. "Odin's lifted my punishment?"

"You can go home," Gibbs said quietly. "Back to Asgard."

"I don't want to go back to Asgard," Loki told him. "NCIS is home. Why can't I stay?"

"Loki," Gibbs said, placing his hand on the Asgardian's shoulder. "You will always be a part of my team, and are welcome here anytime. But you need to go back to Asgard."

"Odin's not my father," Loki pointed out, anger rising into his tone. "And I don't want to go back to Asgard. Why do I have to go back?" A sickening thought occurred to him. "Wait – do you want me to leave?"

"Loki," Gibbs said, his voice hard. "If it was up to me, you wouldn't be leaving. But Odin told me he would one day recall you to Asgard – he had me agree to that. There's nothing I can do. Not yet." As Loki just regarded him, silently, Gibbs stepped forward. Slowly, he embraced the god of mischief, and Loki returned the gesture after a moment of hesitation.

"You are always welcome at NCIS," Gibbs said as he drew back. "You are one of my agents, and leaving to return to Asgard won't change that." As Loki's shoulders slumped slightly, he added, "Think of it as a temporary reassignment. It won't be forever. Like Thor and the Avengers."

"I will return," Loki promised.

"I'll hold you to that." Turning, Gibbs flipped the switch and the elevator started up again. Loki just stared at the doors, feeling a hole forming inside him. He didn't know what to think about all of this. For one thing, Odin actually thought he had carried out his sentence effectively. On the other, completing his work on Midgard meant leaving behind the closest friends he'd ever made.

Maybe this was how Thor felt, when he was dragged away from Jane after his stay on Midgard.

/**/

*ducks* Sorry, guys! But I promise you, this isn't for nothing! It will all come to light why this has to be.

To quote Palpatine, "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."  Cue evil laugh.

One more chapter to go! I'm so excited!!! I hope you guys are, too.

Just make sure you read the author's note that will be posted after the final chapter, to learn more about what's next for our favorite Special Agent....

Skylar Wittenborn