She sniffled, taking his hand and pulling herself up, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding as tight as she possibly could.<3
"I wish you had come sooner." Those were the words she needed to hear, that he wouldn't be pushed away because of what had happened to her.

He hugged her back tightly, "Yes... well... you know how Shield is with their paperwork."

Her grip wasn't as tight as Eric remembered it to be. "...I suppose we're also in a mystery location too...I MISSED YOOOOOOOOOOU" She rubbed her head into his shoulder and kissed his neck once or twice.

"Yeah, something about letting a reformed terrorist passed level eight security" Max rolled his eyes and kissed her back, "I missed you to"

"QUICK! EMERGENCY CUDDLE" She curled into him, "<33333...WE have to stop having such long gaps inbetween seeing each other."

"I concur" he replied, snuggling her in his arms. He pulled her onto his lap as he sat down in a chair.

The adorables.

Meanwhile Loki was tossing a ball of light around the room. He had been playing with a fireball earlier but that set off the sprinklers and had soaked everything.

It was surprising how small of a ball Ceres could curl herself into. Within a few mins of snuggles, Ceres' eyes grew heavy just before she dozed off she mumbled, half asleep. "Stay with me...forever."

Eric stroked her hair and rocked her off to dream world. He replied with a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "okay."

"then marri...zzzz"

Eric blinked, then just smiled and let her sleep.

Time skip!

The next day, Ceres woke up snuggled to Eric in her bed. He seemed smiley for some reason but she was happy to see him too. So she thought nothing of it.

"Ohayō! (Good Morning)." She called standing in Loki's redone prison, with a rolling cart with two meals worth of food on it.

Loki looked up and instantly smiled, "Ceres, how good to see you."

She returned the smile, "~It's been far too long. Polly won't let me come. She's such a billy sometimes. But I guess that's what older sisters are for right?~" She said, apparently not realizing she was rambling on in japanese.

Loki raised a brow, "I think you're speaking... Japanese?" he guessed, he knew the sound of the dialect but had yet to learn it. Loki knew many languages.

"~What are you talking about? I'm speaking. English.English. Not Japanese...Japa~Japanese I'm speaking English." She said as she tried to sort the languages out in her head. She went over to the cart and picked up the small pill cup and took the magical array of colored pills.

"S-Sorry. They worked me really hard yesterday at rehab. Languages get all...mixed up." She apologized, rubbing the back of her head. "I brought breakfast."

Loki actually had a look of concern for about two seconds, "Yes, care to join me?" he waved his hands and turned the rug into a low table with cushions to sit on.

"That's suppose to be my line." She said, clearly that had been her plan all along. She managed to get most of the plates and such on the table but not without a few close calls and a shaky hand. "I love what you've done with the place. Much more you now."

"Thank you. To be quite honest it was down right depressing before" Loki rolled his eyes, "Shield could learn a thing or two from Azgardian prison."

"Well, you aren't suppose to feel comfortable in a prison but I guess you won't be in here forever now that you have that bond on your arm." She pointed at his arm. "Your magic feel ok? NO werid after effects?"

"It's strange to have it outside of my body" he admitted, admiring the amulet for a moment, "but I can feel it coming back to me a little by little. Thank you, Ceres, for getting it back" she was the only person he had actually thanked thus far.

Ceres almost spilled her tea, "You...Did you just thank me?" She stared a moment before a wide grin appeared on her face, "YOU'RE WELCOME!" She jumped over the table and hugged him. "Look at you, ya big softie." She poked his cheeks playfully.

"X.x Stop that, or I may take it back" he warned, though he found himself smiling a little as well as he shoved her off of him. "I give thanks where it is truly due, that's all"

"Nonononono. I'm keeping this one." She wiggled off him and hurried back over to her side. It warmed her heart because this meant that Loki trusted her more, to be able to thank her for her handwork. "I'm glad you're feeling better though. I missed seeing your smile." She said picking up her tea cup but her hand gave in and the glass fell over on the table.

"Oops, clumsy me." She said trying to cover up for it."

Loki waved his hand and cleaned up the mess, "not a problem." he offered her a smile, "how are you doing by the way? I've been told repeatedly that all your injuries are all my fault"

Ceres' cheerful expression quickly faded as she sat back on her knees and looked down at her hands. "I suppose from their point of view you were the cause but with or without me you would have faced Odin to reclaim your magic. If I hadn't done what I'd done, you probably won't have made it.

When we got back, you collapsed and the dark magic was spreading like wildfire into the earth and plants. So I did the only thing I could think of that was powerful enough to filter it." She pulled her shirt back to reveal her dark pink gem. "I used my gem to filter the magic radianting off of you into a gentler magic. But all magic has a price. In doing so I allowed the dark magic into my body, damaging my vessel. My bones are craved with magic and a good chuck of them have been scratched out, leaving my body in this state... I went into a coma. Apparently my gem was black when I past out. Pallas, Juno and Horatio puritied it as much as they could but as you can see, it wasn't enough.

And because my vessel is damaged, I can't access all of my powers as I once did... And even if I forced the magic out somehow, I could destory my vessel or red flag my True father of who is my vessel... That's why we have familiars, they keep our magic in check and making sure looks as close to midguad magic as possible...

I don't blame you for this Loki. In short, I'm a little old lady trapped in a late 20s girl's body. With drugs and rehab I should be able to regain some of my strength but nothing quite to the likings of what I use to be. Coco's been stuck in wand form since it happened." She pulled it out. It looked much like her staff but now it was wand sized.