The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 32

You all got up early the next morning to head back to Earth. None of you had had nearly enough sleep, but no one was inclined to try to get more sleep either. So you, Thor, Loki, and Sera perched on your shoulder, made your way down to the great hall. You were all only slightly surprised to see Frigga there drinking tea. She looked up at your group and gave you a smile. "Couldn't sleep either, darlings?" she asked you gently as you all sat at the table with her.

"No, none of us could get back to sleep properly after the excitement," Loki agreed after he'd kissed her cheek. "We decided it was best to get an early start back to Midgard," he explained as more tea and breakfast were brought out to you by the servants. You all ate in near silence, no one was very awake that morning. Except Sera who looked immensely proud of herself and ate everything in sight. The boys hugged their mother goodbye and kissed her cheek, promising to visit again soon.

She came over to you and kissed your cheek as well. "Darling, you're a citizen of Asgard here. You'll always have a home here and you're welcome anytime, with or without my sons. I was going to make sure you had a trinket from Asgard to take with you so Heimdall could find you anytime you wish to return to Asgard, but your jewel will work for that purpose," Frigga reassured you. "Anytime you wish to return, just call to Heimdall and he will bring you," she added so warmly and gently.

"Thank you, your highness," you told her warmly. It still hadn't quite sunk in that you were actually a citizen of Asgard, much less that you were nobility. It seemed too much to be real. After the goodbyes were said, Loki wrapped his arm around you and clasped his other hand on Thor's shoulder.

"I know you hate teleporting, but I do not feel much like riding this morning," Loki told him and an instant later you were in the Bifrost room.

"You know I hate it when you do that," Thor growled at Loki who just laughed at his brother's misfortune and slightly green face. "But I agree that getting back to the others sooner rather than later is a good idea,"

"We've been gone too long," you agreed. You'd left the team to deal with the aftermath of the witch hunters without you. Granted, you'd been in no shape to deal with them yourself, but you still felt bad for hiding on Asgard relatively safely while the team was dealing with the people after you.

Thor nodded. "Let's go, then," he bid you. You plucked Sera off your shoulder and cradled her in your arms, cuddling her safely to you.

"The Bifrost is dangerous, little one," you told her as you held her firmly to you. Loki had warned you as much. She had squeaked in indignation at being held so tightly. "I don't want anything to happen to you," you reassured her. She calmed, then and nuzzled your cheek, purring softly. Loki wrapped his arm firmly around your shoulders and Heimdall opened the Bifrost. You held on to Loki with one arm and kept the other firmly around Sera.

"I do not wish to lose you either, and I doubt you remember much of you last trip by Bifrost," Loki reminded you that you'd been drugged and barely awake your first trip by Bifrost. You entered the Bifrost and the rainbow lights surrounded you with a weird sensation of controlled falling. You landed hard with a stumble right outside of the tower.

Much as you loved Asgard and all of its beauty, it was great to be home. Loki's arm remained firmly around your shoulders and you felt his fear. It took you a moment to realize that he was afraid you'd be attacked the second you got home. You wanted to reassure him, but you didn't know how without lying to him. You didn't know what the witch hunters were really up to or why and you hoped the team had more answers than you did. Loki ushered you inside as fast as he could. He trusted your safety in the tower, especially since the team was supposed to be enhancing security.

"I'm alright, Lokitty," you reassured him as you let him herd you inside.

"I feel better with you inside the tower until we know what's going on with those people who were after you," Loki reminded you. Before you could protest he added. "I know you can protect yourself, but I'm allowed to worry, they hurt you quite badly, darling." You couldn't fault him on that one. Still, even with everything going on, you were home.

You made your way up to the common room with your boys and you companion in your arms. She was taking everything in with wide-eyed excitement. She'd seen the tower in your memories, but it was new and different for her to see it for real. The team jumped up from their various couches to greet you when you returned. They were all happy and excited to see you alive and well. They'd been worried too.

They stopped short when they saw that you were cuddling something in your arms. Sera's wings were folded against her back, so they weren't super obvious at the moment. "You found a new familiar?" Nat asked brightly when she recognized the cuddled thing as a cat.

You nodded. "This is Sera. She chose me in Asgard," you told them. Sera squirmed out of your arms and fluttered, looking over your friends from a higher vantage point.

"What is that?" Tony demanded, staring at the fluttering cat-dragon.

"A cat?" you tried.

"That is not a cat!" Tony protested. The others seemed to agree with him.

"Sera, can you shift back to your real form?" you asked the little cat-dragon. Her magic shimmered and suddenly she was a Toothless-sized dragon in the living room. She bumped her head against your hand and you petted her scales.

"That... is a dragon" Tony said stupidly.

"Yes, she is," you cooed fondly. "And such a good dragon she is too," you continued cooing and hugged your dragon around the neck while Loki chuckled at the team's confusion.