7

Somebody's Baby

Other kids bring home stray dogs, cats, or injured birds to show their dad. What do MY kids bring home? Somebody's baby. ~Loki

Loki hurried through his supper, not wishing to be away from Serena for too long. He had already asked Halgran to please see to Max and Aleta tonight and explained to them he had to stay with Serena so she wasn't scared so he couldn't tuck them in bed. But he did give them a kiss and hug.

He brought his pillow, his pajamas, and his favorite throw which had a black wolf and a cub upon it.

When he entered the infirmary, he found the front desk empty and frowned. There should have always been someone there to deal with emergencies. He made his way to Serena's room and found the child asleep but Rhiannon was absent.

"Healer Rhiannon?" he called softly.

He looked around the room when he heard soft sobbing, but it wasn't Serena who was upset. He placed the pillow, pajamas and the throw on the bed next to Serena's bed when he kissed the top of her head and walked into the shadows. The sobbing grew louder when he stopped and saw Rhiannon curled up in a corner.

"Are you alright?" Loki whispered when she jumped from being startled then hissed.

"My Prince," she said as she tried to stand, but her legs failed.

"Easy," he said as he helped her to her feet then saw the bruises on her face. "By the Nine, what happened?"

"I... I tripped and hit the wall," she said.

"It is not wise to lie to me," he said with a stern look then his face softened. "Tell me what happened."

"It was... It was shortly after you left. I was checking on your daughter when Lord Malius and Healer Mythal told me to come with them. I didn't know what I had done wrong when Healer Mythal grabbed onto my arms and pulled them behind my back. I wanted to call out, but she said she would break my neck if I uttered one word. The next thing I knew, Lord Malius was beating me. I must have passed out at some point because I only recently woke up here."

"Does this happen often? Malius mistreating you or someone else?" Loki demanded. He had a feeling it did, because he knew Malius and knew that the laws allowed him such freedom to abuse people under him. It made him feel sick.

"Only when he is displeased," swallowed Rhiannon.

Loki seethed. He wanted to break Malius' fingers. Damn bullying Nazi! And his little toady over there! I wonder how much extra she gets paid to play lady of the manor over the medics and nurses under her? Or what else he's paying her with? Loki thought with a sneer.

"Forgive me. Will you permit me to heal you? I'm not a full Healer Mage but I can heal things like bruises and cuts and lacerations."

Rhiannon shivered. "If you do this, My Prince, he will know . . ."

Loki heard the unspoken words-and then he will do worse next time.

"I won't heal the bruises on your face. Even though I want to and then put some on his face. But I can heal any other damage he did."

"This is the-" she stopped, recalling then the other rumors that floated about the second prince of Asgard. The ones which whispered that you could not lie to the God of Mischief. "All right."

Loki traced his hands just above her clothing, allowing his magic to flow over her and heal what could not be seen. All the while his mind was scheming to try and protect her. But he knew he could not be seen doing it so obviously. for Rhiannon was a single woman. and he did not want to tarnish her reputation by making it seem like she was some lightskirt who was sleeping with him to gain his favor. He sensed she was not that type, but rumor cared not for truth.

She's also scared of men in authority, Laufeyson. So she won't welcome your attentions that way now. Even if you wanted to court her.

She stirred something within him, he had to admit. Something he had thought dead and buried after Boda had crushed his pride and self-esteem before he divorced her. It was something he had not allowed himself to feel for a woman in centuries. Something that whispered through the lonely places in his soul, a tiny flicker of light, which he ignored. But it was there, a quiet glow in the shadows.

"Thank you, My Prince," Rhiannon said and he nodded.

"How is Serena doing?" he asked.

"She is doing quite well. And she told me the most interesting stories. She said you read them to her at night."

"Yes, we read a story every night."

"She is very lucky to have a father like you," she said and swore she saw a tint of pink on his cheeks.

I made him blush?! she thought.

"I'm lucky to have her...and her brothers and sisters," he said while they walked back into the ward and he walked to the bed.

"Well, I must be going back to my duties," she said and he nodded. He watched Rhiannon leave the room when he went to change into his pajamas and moved the bedding back.

"Daddy?" Serena's small voice asked as he walked to her bed and carefully sat down.

"Hello, Moon pi," he said and she smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to sleep in here with you just in case you get lonely or scared."

"Oh," she said then went silent. I would have been scared if I had to be here alone."

"Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll be right over there," Loki said and pointed to the bed next to hers.

"Ok," she said then frowned. "Are you sure they won't hurt Moonlight?"

"Yes, they won't hurt her. I promise," he said as he got up, moved the bedding up, leaned over and kissed the top of her head. He got under the bedding when he rolled onto his left side and watched his daughter drifting to sleep. He closed his eyes, but didn't notice Rhiannon watching them as she smiled, turned and walked away.

In the nursery...

Max sat at the table while he moved the crayon over the piece of paper and he looked at what he was drawing. A black fur cat with bright green eyes smiled at him and the black fur cat wore what looked like Loki's helmet. A green ribbon was around the black cat's neck and Max had surrounded the black cat with green lines.

"Oh, that is such a nice drawing, Dearie," Halgran said as he smiled and placed the crayon down.

"I was making it for Serena," Max said then yawned.

"That was really nice of you," she said as she picked him up and headed for the bed. "You know, your daddy had a toy kitty which looked like that when he was a baby."

"He did?" Max asked as she placed him under the bedding and moved the bedding up.

"Yes, he did. He never went anywhere without it."

"What happened to it?"

"I think he has it on the bookshelf in his den," she said then kissed the top of his head. "Now, go to sleep."

"Ok." Max said, closing his eyes. "Um, Leta has a stuffed kitty, too. Her name's Minx."

"I see," she said as he drifted off to sleep and she patted the top of his head then left the room.

Loki dozed off and on during the night, his battle-honed senses alert for anything or anyone entering Serena's room that did not belong there. To say he did not trust Malius was putting it mildly.

The soft sound of the wind blowing through the cracks in the stone walls was the only sound he heard when the sound of footsteps made his eyes snap open. He sat up as Rhiannon hushed him and she went over to check Serena. Nodding, she left the room as he went to rest his head against the pillows and he placed his hands on his chest. He thought back to Boda and how she would just let the nanny take care of their children and how she ignored them if one of them were ill. He would spend nights checking on them when they had fevers or were teething and would lay awake with worry when they had colds.

"Rhiannon wouldn't have done that," he thought as he pictured her taking care of them during the time all of them came down with the flu and a small smile moved across his lips.

He finally drifted off sometime before dawn and Rhiannon hushed Serena when she had woken her up for breakfast. Both of them smiled as she handed Serena a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice and giggled at the soft snoring noise coming from his bed.

"Should we wake him up?" Serena whispered. "He never sleeps late."

Rhiannon quietly walked to the bed when she shook Loki's shoulder and his eyes quickly opened.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, sitting up.

"Nothing is wrong, Daddy. It's just time to wake up," Serena said.

"Says the young lady who I nearly have to dump a bucket of ice water on order to wake her up," he teased and she giggled.

Rhiannon's cerulean eyes widened. "You really have done that?"

"Only if she won't get up for school after I've sang my wake up song and tried to wake her five times already." Loki admitted.

"He only needed to do that once," Serena said. "I hate mornings."

"She's my little vampire," Loki joked. "She likes sunsets."

"Sleep is my best friend," the girl laughed. "These eggs are pretty good, Dad. Kind of like the ones you make, only without the cheese."

"You cook, My Prince?" Rhiannon gaped at him.

"I cook a lot. I like to. It relaxes me. Didn't anyone ever tell you I grew up in the kitchens here, because my best friend was the Head Chef's daughter, Kara?"

'Your best friend was a commoner?"

"Yes. I've always seemed to like being with ordinary people," Loki admitted calmly, as if that were nothing unusual. He thought back to when he was nine and Thor twelve and Thor had begun hanging around all the noble sons who scorned Loki because he was smaller, younger, and smarter. He also preferred reading and learning magic to playing knights and frost giants.

"Lackland Loki with his nose stuck in a book! Bookworm, coward, can't fight worth spit! Weakling, wimpy, troublemaking piece of sh!t!" the old taunt echoed in his head, it had been over a millennia ago but he had never forgotten it. And he had turned his back on the so-called upper class and found he much preferred his common friends, who accepted him for what he was.

"I brought you breakfast also, My Prince," Rhiannon told him, setting another tray down in front of him.

"Thank you. You didn't have to, I could have gotten my own," he said. He noticed she had gotten him some coffee and he fixed it the way he usually did, with two sugars and some cream.

Then he began to eat his breakfast, agreeing with Serena that the eggs and sausage were quite good, as was the freshly baked bread with lingonberry jam.

As he ate he stole sidelong glances at Rhiannon. He sipped his coffee, then asked quietly, "Does that beast Malius ever allow you a day off?"

"One day a week and Sundays," Rhiannon answered. "I chose Saturday."

"Do you get any feast days off?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

"Not even Wintertide?"

"No."

"Then how can Father Christmas bring you presents?" Serena asked as she sipped on some fresh apple juice.

"It has been a long time since anyone has given me a present," she said with a sigh.

Loki frowned while he sipped on the coffee when the door opened and Mythal entered the room. He noticed the glares she was giving Rhiannon as Rhiannon quickly bowed and left the room.

"Has she been bothering you?" Mythal asked, looking down her nose at him.

"No. In fact, she was being very pleasant," Loki said.

"She shouldn't be in here."

"I'd rather have her in here then a cold fish like you," Serena said and Loki hide his smile behind the mug.

"I beg your pardon?! How dare you speak to your elders in such a way! I have a good mind to..."

"To what?!" Loki said as he got out of bed and walked to her. Mythal slowly backed away as she glanced around for something to use as a weapon and Loki stood straighter. "Maybe I should tell my father I came in here last night only to find my daughter alone. When I went to find Healer Rhiannon, I found her huddled in the corner and she was sobbing. I saw she had been beaten and she told me it was Lord Malius who had harmed her and you had held her while he did it."

"She's lying!"

"No one lies to me," Loki said with a growl. "Now, I will only say this once. You will never harm her or any of the other common healers again or I will go to my father!"

"Do you really think he cares what happened to those low lives?!"

"Yes, I do."

"Then you are fooling yourself," Mythal said then turned and left the room. Loki pushed the anger down as he sighed and walked to the bed where Serena was lying. He sat down as she scooted closer and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"She is evil, Dad. Like Matron Bluderhoden. She used to act sweet as pie in front of guests and the social workers but she would hurt the kids when they were gone. Mythal is like that."

"I know, moon pi. But don't be afraid. You are getting out of here as soon as I sign the release forms."

"What about Rhiannon?"

"I have warned that miserable Nazi once. She does anything again and I can have her dismissed and up on charges for disobeying a direct order from a prince of the realm."

"She seemed to think she was above the law."

'Trust me she's not. The laws gave nobles power over commoners. I'm her superior in rank so she has no power over me," Loki explained. "But I do over her, though because of the power trip she's on, she has forgotten that."

"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger," Serena quoted, grinning.

"You got that right, darling." Loki approved. She's another Boda, he thought furiously. That harpy challenges me and she's going to find out just how quick I can kick her ass. And her big bad boss too.

Healer Rhiannon returned with the discharge papers for Loki to sign, her golden hair hanging over her left cheek to hide the scar upon it. "Here you are, My Prince."

"Thank you, Healer Rhiannon," Loki said, giving her a cordial smile and signing the sheet. "Any instructions I need to know of?"

"Serena should take it easy today then after that she can go back to her normal routine."

"You hear that, moon pi?"

"Yes, Dad," his daughter replied.

"Thank you for your care of my daughter," Loki told her, vowing to send her something as a further way to thank her.

"I was pleased to be of service, sir," Rhiannon murmured, coloring slightly beneath his emerald gaze.

"If Mythal or Malius tries to hurt you again, you come to me,' he whispered. "Don't hesitate to do so."

"I . . . very well," the Healer acquiesced, then she bowed and left the room.

"Dad, let's blow this popsicle stand," Serena declared.

Loki chuckled. "Get dressed, Rena and we are outta here."

Serena took the clothes he handed her and hurried into the bathroom to change. Once she was dressed in a pretty preiwinkle dress and matching slippers with her hair tied back with a lavender ribbon, Loki took her arm and teleported from the infirmary to the room Serena shared with Belle, as they did at home.

Belle looked up from her desk, as she wrote in her chronicle. "You're back!" she cried excitedly and went to hug her little sister.

"Yup. but I'm not allowed to do much except rest. Whatever that means," sighed the platinum-haired girl.

"It means you need to do quiet things for now,' Loki informed her. "Do some sudoku puzzles, draw, play some card games. Watch a movie on my tablet." He gave Serena his Kindle Fire Plus.

"Okay, Dad," his math whiz replied and went to take her sudoku book out of her backpack.

" I will see you for lunch," Loki said, then he left to see what his other kids were doing.

Sam, Hunter, Fenris, Lucy, and Volstagg's two sons, Harold and Gunnar, were playing a game similar to field hockey on the lawn behind the stables. Jorgy and Vince were surfing. Nate was fishing with Thor.

Where are Max and Aleta? he wondered, and went to ask Halgran.

"They were playing in the Queen's Garden, dearie," his old nanny laughed. "Something called Simon Says with Little Loki."

"Ah, thanks," Loki smiled, and went to go find them.

Max was in the middle of telling Aleta and Little Loki to hop on one foot when he heard something that sounded like a cat crying behind the hedge to the south of where they were playing.

"Do you hear that?" he asked the others. "It sounds like a cat in trouble."

"Where?" cried his sister. "Let's go find it!"

"It came from over here," Max told them and they folow him around the hedge.

Max looked around for the cat, trying to see if it had become stuck in a tree, but the only thing he saw was a wicker basket sitting beside the hedge. The cry came again and Max pointed. "I think the kitty is in there!"

The children ran over to the basket, and see that it has a round hood and a piece of netting over the top to keep out bugs. But inside it is not a distressed kitten.

"That's not a cat, Max!" Aleta gasped. "It's a little baby!"

"What's a baby doing out here by itself?" Max wondered. "Maybe somebody stole it!"

Little Loki frowned. "Let's see if there's a ransom note." He undid the netting and pushed it back to see inside.

"Didja find one?" Aleta asked as Little Loki searched through the basket.

"No," he answered. The baby began to fuss, wanting to be held.

'Why is it crying?" Max wanted to know.

"Maybe she is hungry or wet," Little Loki suggested.

"She? It's a girl?" Max queried.

"Uh huh. See?" Little Loki pulled back the blanket to show the baby had a pink sack-like piece of clothing on that was pulled closed with a drawstring on the bottom.

"We need to help her," Aleta said. 'Let's bring her to Daddy."

Little Loki grabbed one side of the basket by its handle and Max took the other side. Aleta picked up the front of it and all three children walked carefully around the hedge and towards the entrance to the gardens.

Loki was coming out of it when he spotted them. 'What by the Nine are you carrying?"

"Daddy!" His youngest yelled. "Look what we found!"

Loki approached thinking it was some kind of plant or an animal. He nearly fell over when he saw the baby inside. "You found a BABY?!"

"Uh huh. She was just laying there," his small son informed him. "We think she was stolen."

"Can we keep her?" Aleta pleaded.

"Can you what?!" Loki groaned. "I don't believe this!" Only YOUR kids would end up finding a baby, Laufeyson!

He peered in the basket at the tiny little infant. The baby began to wail hungrily.

"Daddy, do something!" Aleta ordered.

Loki knelt and picked up the baby, knowing from experience what that cry meant. "Okay, sweetheart," he crooned to the howling baby. He conjured a bottle of goat's milk and prayed the baby knew how to drink from a bottle.

After a brief period of puzzlement, the baby latched on and began to drink. Loki sighed in relief. Now that the baby was feeding, he could concentrate on what to do about the infant.

"Where exactly did you find her?" he asked the three children.

"Over here, sir," his godson led him around the hedge and pointed to the spot where the basket had been left.

Loki studied the spot, trying to ascertain why anyone would leave a baby there.

"Was there a note or anyone nearby when you found the baby?" he asked the three children.

"No, sir," Little Loki replied. "We checked the basket. And no one was around."

"Can we keep her, Daddy?" Aleta repeated her earlier question.

"Spark, this isn't like finding a stray dog or a kitten," Loki explained. "This baby belongs to someone."

"Who do you think it belongs to, Daddy?" Max asked.

Loki checked the spot where they had found the basket when he felt a tingle of magic and frowned. He closed his eyes as he focused his powers then opened them. A green magical trail moved from the spot to the left and he folded his arms over his chest.

"Whoever this baby belongs to came from this direction," Loki said.

"Let's go find them!" Aleta said.

"No, I will go find them. You three go back to the castle and wash up for dinner."

"But..."

"Go!" he said then placed the baby back in the basket, picked up the basket and walked away. He walked a few feet when he sighed, rolled his eyes and turned around. He just saw Max's head ducking down from behind a bush when Loki waved his hand and the bush vanished. "Come on."

Aleta, Max and Little Loki half-ran to him when Aleta took her daddy's hand and they followed the green trail.

"Why do you think they left the baby, Daddy?" Max asked, looking in the basket.

"I don't know. They could have gotten sick and went to get help. They were protecting the baby for some reason."

They were leaving it somewhere to die, a voice said in his head and Loki shook the thought from his mind.

They kept walking when Thor approached and he smiled at Loki.

"Ah, Brother, I was just coming to see you," Thor said.

"Is there something wrong?" Loki asked.

"No, I was just wondering how Serena was doing."

"She is doing fine. I was able to take her back to her room and the healer said she just needed to rest for a few days."

"That's good," Thor said then looked down. "What do you have there?"

"It's a baby!" Aleta said with a grin.

"We found it in the bushes!" Max said and Little Loki nodded.

"Why would someone just leave a baby?"

"That is what we're trying to find out," Loki said.

"I think the baby was stolen and the kidnapper left it when he heard us coming," Aleta declared.

"We would have seen them," Max said.

"Yeah," Little Loki said.

"They could have vanished," Aleta said, frowning and stuck her tongue out.

"What if they didn't want the baby cause it was a girl? Or they had too many kids like in the fairy tales?" Max wondered.

"Why wouldn't they want the baby because it was a girl?!"

"There are some countries where boys are more important than girls, Spark," Loki said.

"That's not fair! Girls are just as important as boys!" Aleta said.

"Yes, they are," Thor said when he thought of something and made a little cough.

"Are you alright, Brother?" Loki asked.

"I was just thinking of the time I... I wanted to sell you."

"You did?!" Max asked with wide eyes.

"It was shortly after your father was born. I was so jealous with how much attention he was getting from our parents, I talked your uncle Balder into taking your father to the market and we would sell him."

"That was mean!" Aleta said.

"What happened?" Little Loki asked.

"Our parents thought someone had kidnapped us and we nearly went to war with the Frost Giants," Loki said and Thor nodded.

"One of our mother's handmaids found us at the market and we were taken back to the palace," Thor said.

"What happened next?" Aleta asked.

"Uncle Balder and I were spanked."

"Did you tell Daddy you were sorry?" Max asked.

"In a way, yes, we did."

"And I tossed a rattle into his face," Loki said with a smile.

"That was the start of the whole "Blergh" thing."

"What?" Little Loki asked.

"Whenever I would changed into something and Thor picked me up, I would change back and go "Blergh, it's me!", Loki said and they giggled.

A short time later, they arrived at one of the large manor homes and they stood at the front gate.

"This is where my friend, Sorven, lives," Thor said when the front door opened and a tall, muscular man walked outside. He had bright red hair and full beard, green eyes and a handsome face. He wore a gold breastplate with his family badge on the front, brown leather trousers and brown leather boots. His hair was braided down his right side and was tied by a black cord.

"Thor!" Sorven said as he walked to the gate and smiled.

"Hello, Sorven," Thor said.

"Loki," Sorven said as he looked down his nose at Loki and Loki sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Hello," Loki said when he thought of something and blinked. "Is Solveig at home?"

"Why would you wish to see my sister?" Sorven asked.

"We found a baby!" Aleta said and he looked down at her.

"This is my daughter, Aleta," Loki said looked at the boys. "This is my son, Max, and this is my godson, Loki."

"Greetings," Sorven said.

"The reason I ask about your sister is my children and godson found the baby in the bushes and I found a magical trace which lead here. If I remember correctly, your sister was once my apprentice...," Loki said.

"She is here," Sorven said. "But she has never had a child."

"Are you sure?" Loki asked.

Sorven scowled at him. "Are you calling me a liar?!"

"No, but I would like to talk with her."

"Maybe she knows whose baby it is," Little Loki said.

"I think they had too many kids so they left her under a bush," Aleta declared.

"What's too many?" Asked Little Loki.

"Like fifty?" Max replied.

"That's crazy! Who has fifty kids?" Little Loki frowned.

"Pharoah did in ancient Egypt. Wait, he had fifty wives." Max recalled.

"Fifty wives?!" gasped Little Loki. "He was allowed to have that many?"

Max shrugged. "Back then yeah. It was like five thousand years ago. He was Pharoah like a living god so he could do whatever he wanted. Who was gonna tell him no?"

"This isn't Egypt, Max," Loki reminded him.

"May we please talk to her?" Thor asked. Nodding, Sorven opened the gate as they walked by him and they headed for the house. He opened the door while they walked inside and some of the servants stopped what they were doing to look at them.

"Get back to work!" Sorven snapped and they headed down the hallway. They walked into a solarium as Loki looked at the tall young woman with long red hair and green eyes. She was beautiful with a slim form and a egg shaped face and she wore a white silk gown and gold slippers. "Sister, it appears we have visitors."

"Hello, Solveig," Loki said with a small bow then noticed how she quickly glanced at the basket before looking at him.

"Hello, Teacher," she said with a small nod then frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"We are here to ask you something," Loki said as he walked closer and she looked at the basket. "Have you ever seen this basket before?"

"No, I have not," she said.

"Then you have no idea who this baby belongs to?" he asked and she looked at the baby."

"No, I don't."

"See, I told you she never had a child," Sorven said.

"She also knows better than to lie to me," Loki said and she lowered her head. She made a soft sniff as he placed the basket down on the floor and placed his hands on her shoulders. "She is yours, isn't she?"

"Yes," Solveig said in a small voice.

"What?!" Sorven demanded as stalked over and Loki placed Solveig behind him.

"I... I am sorry," she said and Loki turned to look at her.

"What happened?" Loki asked.

"I am in love with a young man named Johanni. He is the son of my father's head groom. We never meant to fall in love, but..."

"You fell in love with a commoner?! How could you?!" Sorven growled and Loki hushed him.

"When I told Father I wanted to marry Johanni, he refused! He said he would have him killed before he would allow our bloodline tainted."

"Of course he would!"

"Silence!" Loki said and Sorven glared at him.

"One night, Johanni and I ran away and were hand fasted..."

"What?!" Sorven gasped.

"We lived in secret for the last year, but, to celebrate our bonding, we..."

"You made a baby," Loki said as they looked at the children and she nodded.

"I was so afraid Father would force me to give her up..."

"Of course he would force you to give it up!" Sorven bellowed.

"Stop being mean!" Aleta said.

"Yeah! You're scaring her!" Max said.

"Be silent, you pests!" Sorven said and Loki's eyes flared red.

"You will not speak to my children like that!" Loki said.

Sorven glared at him, then looked away when Thor scowled at him. Solveig sniffed, knelt down and looked at the baby.

"Where is Johanni?" Loki asked.

"He was sold," Sorven said.

"Who was he sold to?" Thor asked.

"I have no idea."

"Where is your father?" Loki asked.

"He is away and won't be back for another two weeks."

"You are to send word to him that he needs to come home so he can meet his granddaughter."

"I will do no such thing! This child is not of our house! It is nothing, but a bastard!"

"No, she is not! Johanni and I are married!" Solveig said, picking up the baby and held her in her arms.

"You are no longer a member of this house as well!" Sorven said and her eyes widened. "You are nothing more than a common whore!"

"Oooooo! You said a naughty word!" Aleta said.

"Yep! You're going to have to eat some soap!" Max said.

"That sounds disgusting," Little Loki said.

"It is."

"What's a bastard?" Aleta wanted to know.

"Do not repeat that, Aleta," Thor ordered. "Watch your tongue around my niece, Sorven."

"Or Uncle Thor is gonna make you eat soap," Max told him.

"And do not use the other naughty word," Thor said.

"Teacher, please, help me," Solveig said.

"Of course I will help you," Loki said.

"I demand you get out of this house now!" Sorven shouted.

"With pleasure," Loki said while Thor and the children walked to him then they vanished in a puff of green smoke.

The green smoke appeared in the garden as Loki led Solveig to a bench and she sat down. Aleta , Max and Little Loki sat next to her as they looked at the baby and Solveig gently rocked her.

"What is her name?" Aleta asked.

"Her name is Reyka," Solveig told them. "It means a lady of distinction."

"How did you manage to hide that you were expecting?" Thor wanted to know.

"I am very skilled with illusion casting. I had the best teacher in the Nine," she said proudly.

"Thank you," Loki coughed, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Daddy taught us too," Max said. "Not magic but the alphabet and stuff."

"Did your brother really kick you out of the house?" Aleta asked artlessly. "That was nasty. My brothers would never do that."

"Nobody is allowed to kick anyone out of our family," Max told her. "Dad says so."

"Ohana means family. And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten," Aleta and Max quoted.

"Not even if they call Daddy a little f-bag," Aleta said.

Solveig's mouth dropped open. "You called your father that?!"

"No. Uncle Thor did when he was two. Daddy made him eat bitters," Max told her.

"What?!" Solveig cried. "But Thor is older than your father."

"He was de-aged to two years old around a month ago. Amora did it," Loki explained. "I took care of him until I could restore him."

"He shoved marshmallows up his nose!" Aleta giggled.

"Aleta, please!" Thor protested, blushing.

Solveig snickered.

"And he made a flood with too much bubble bath." Max reported.

"Max!" Thor groaned.

"And he got put in time out cause he played with the stove," Aleta informed Loki's former student.

"By the Nine! It sounds like you were very naughty, My Prince," laughed Solveig. "I hope little Reyka is not like that."

"I was not in trouble all the time " Thor protested.

"True. You had your good days " Loki agreed.

"You shared your red crayon with me," reminded Aleta.

"And you liked when Daddy read Green Eggs and Ham before we went to bed," Max said.

"I am not familiar with that story," Solveig admitted. "Is it one Midgardian mothers tell their children?"

"You never heard of ?!" Max gaped at her.

"I'm afraid not," Solveig said. "Does he write these tales?"

"Yes, and there's a lot of them," Aleta told her. "The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Are You My Mother?"

"The best one is Green Eggs and Ham," Thor stated.

"Hey, I love Dr. Seuss but I think we got a little sidetracked here." Loki said. He looked at Solveig. 'So what are you going to do now that your brother threw you out? You will need a place to live while I send someone to find where your husband is."

"I will take Reyka and stay with my friends. They know about her and will keep us safe," Solveig said and Loki nodded.

"I am sorry this happened."

"No, Teacher, you should not feel that way. From what I have seen, you are a good father and know what to do to insure the safety of your children. I am glad to have you as a teacher and a friend as well as my prince."

Thor wasn't sure, but he swore his little brother was blushing.

"Thank you for those kind words," Loki said and she nodded.

"We must be going now," she said and looked at Little Loki, Aleta and Max. "Thank you for looking after Reyka."

"You're welcome," Little Loki said.

"If we hadn't found you, I think Daddy would have kept her," Aleta said.

"I didn't say...," Loki said then sighed.

"Yeah, we wouldn't have minded," Max said and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Let me escort you to your friends' home," Loki said as they headed for the door then he turned to look at Thor. "You're in charge of these three until I get back."

"But...," Thor said as his brother and Solveig left the room and the three kids looked at him. "Uh-oh."

A/N: Hope you all liked! Thanks to ninewood for her help!

If you would like to read about the time little Thor tried to sell baby Loki read Giving Away Loki on my story page!

Who can name the book and movie that Serena quotes to Loki and that Max and Aleta quote to Solveig? You all get Loki cookies if you get them right!

Next up: Loki looks for the missing book in the library, Belle makes a new friend, Sam spars with Balder, and Frigga plans a welcome home ball for Loki.