Page 58 of Fenrir

Her father had returned, and he was looking for her.

Grace’s gaze connected with Aldard’s. “You all stay here. Frigg and the others will help you until I return. I’ll go, and I’ll talk to him and fix everything. It’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.”

Grace turned and pushed back through the crowd toward the door. Her father had returned, and he wanted her.

“Wait! Grace!” Aldard called after her, but she just kept moving.

Her father had returned, and he was looking for her.

Finally.

* * *

Fenrir setthe computer store bag down on Loki’s desk. “Now what?”

Loki took the laptop out and plugged it in. For the next twenty minutes, he set up the laptop and showed Fenrir how to use the internet. He helped Fenrir buy tickets for Disneyland and find a hotel to stay at that had a special breakfast with a bunch of the characters from Disney. To Fenrir’s surprise, the prospect of giving Grace what she wanted most made him happier than he had ever imagined he could be.

After all the details were confirmed, Loki ordered them lunch.

“So Disneyland, huh?” said Loki. “I never saw you as an amusement park kind of guy.”

Fenrir shrugged. “I’ve never been, so how would I know? Besides, it isn’t for me; it’s what Grace wants.”

Loki studied Fenrir for a minute as he took a huge bite of his sandwich. “You love her.”

Fenrir didn’t answer.

Loki smiled. “I’m glad. She’s right for you. The changes in you this last week or so have brought me a lot of joy. I know you and I are still working on things, but I’m glad you finally found the one you were meant to be with. It’s been too long.”

Fenrir didn’t know what to say. He and his father had never had a meaningful discussion about anything before, and seeing Loki get all heartfelt about his life made Fenrir uncomfortable.

“If it’s okay with you, Grace and I will stay in the apartment until we decide where to be permanently.”

“Of course. I gave it to you. It’s yours. Stay as long as you want or as little as you want. It’s your choice.”

Fenrir nodded and stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth.

“Have you introduced her to Layla?”

Fenrir rolled his eyes and snorted. “She lets Layla sleep on the bed.”

Loki chuckled. “So it’s going well with them, then.”

Fenrir shook his head. “There have been moments in the past couple of days that I have felt like the odd man out in the relationship.”

Loki let out a bark of laughter. “Wait until you have a daughter. Then you’ll be in real trouble.”

Memories of Grace’s words floated back to him. She’d said she wanted to make a home with him, for him. Not that she was willing to live in a house with him, but she wanted to make a home. A place that was his and hers. His chest squeezed.

“I should tell you I’m done doing dirty work for the Guardians. If you have a serious problem that you or the Guardians can’t handle, I’ll help, but I can’t be the one you guys call on anymore just to hurt and maim people into compliance. I don’t want to be that man anymore. I want to be better.”

Fenrir held Loki’s gaze longer than he ever had in his entire life. He needed his dad to know that he was serious.

Finally, Loki nodded. “I respect that. I do have something I thought maybe you could help me with, though.”

Fenrir growled. “Did you not just hear me? I literally just said-”

“I heard you. This favor isn’t anything like what you used to do. It’s something I think you might like, and I already know you’re good at it.”