Thank you all for the lovely reviews/alerts for the last chapter! They really made me smile c:

"I've made the most important discovery of my life. It's the only mysterious equation of love that any logic or reasons can be found. I'm only here tonight because of you. You are the only reason I am...you are all my reasons."

- Nash, A Beautiful Mind

Lou flips through the glossy pages of her newly acquired People magazine, legs tangled in her hospital bed sheets.

"Wow, why do I even read these things? All I want to do is reach in and punch these douchebags in the face," Lou mutters, eyes scanning her current page. Loki looks up from the book he'd purchased the night before, left brow arched.

"I will never understand your ways," he sighs, then turns back to the novel in his hands. Lou tosses the magazine aside, but is still restless and growing increasingly bored.

"You wanna finally visit Kurt?" Lou asks, cocking her head to the side.

Loki peeks around his book, green eyes wary. "I'm not very good with children."

"It's like you can even hold him, Negative Nancy. He's a preemie. You just sit and watch him and bask in his rays of awesome." After she finishes speaking, Loki marks his page with a roll of his eyes, but she can still detect uncertainty in them. "Look, he's in an incubator. All you do is put on the gown and sit."

"Incubator?" Loki asks, furrowing his brows.

"Yeah, in the NICU. He has to be hooked up and all that jazz so he can finish developing," Lou replies, biting her lip. "I don't remember exactly what Doc said; I wasn't really listening to all his diag-nonsense. But I remember him saying the machines act as the womb."

"Why must he develop by machine?" Loki inquires futher, making a face. Lou rolls her eyes, shoving off her covers and hopping out of bed.

"Because, numbnuts, it's not like I can just shove him back in and wait for him to roast to a lovely golden-brown. He has to get support from somewhere," Lou retorts. "Come on, I want you to see him."

They end up sitting side by side in the NICU, Loki's fingers hesitantly pressed against the glass. He watches the tiny child's chest rise and fall with awe-struck eyes, and Lou can't help but giggle. His expression added to the pink hospital gown he'd been forced to put over his clothes makes for a chuckle-worthy sight.

"He looks so...fragile," Loki murmurs. Lou nods, silence her giggles and folding her hands into her lap.

"Yeah, he does. But the doctors say he's strong and healthy, and should be up to normal size before we know it."

Loki falls silent after that, lost in the beeps of the machines and the puffs from Kurt's breathing tube. He finds it kind of disturbing to see the baby hooked up to so many wires, but Lou insists it's for the best so he tries to look past it.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Lou reaches her hand in and lightly touches Kurt's miniature fist. "You can put your hand in, if you want. Don't put too much pressure, though. He's strong, but he's still tiny."

Lou pulls her hand out, and Loki hesitantly reaches his own forwards. The feel of Kurt's tiny, clammy fist has Loki jerking back, but he eventually builds up his courage again and places his index finger and thumb lightly back on Kurt's hand.

"It feels so odd," Loki muses, turning to look at Lou. She snickers, but nods.

"Yeah, when I first felt him I was thinking that the flukeworm from X-Files would feel the same way," she replies. "Of course, I realized I was talking about my kid and pretended like I hadn't thought that at all. But I think I can trust you with this little secret."

Loki smirks, shaking his head. "I suppose you can."

They sit in a comfortable silence, eyes trained on the miniature child in the incubator before them. It's not until the nurse comes bustling in that they break from their silent reverie.

"Your lunch is in your room, Miss Piper, whenever you want it," the nurse says. Lou nods, motioning for Loki to help her stand. He grasps her hand and heaves her up, then walks with her from the room, the sounds from the noisy hallway reaching his ears.

"What did you think?" Lou asks, peering up at the demigod with mild curiosity.

Loki ponders her question for a moment, green eyes lost in thought. "I think he's quite the fighter. I can say definitively that he gets that from you."

Lou smirks all the way back to her room, flopping onto her bed and handing Loki her orange once they reach 312. "I can't believe you like oranges. I'm almost 99 percent sure that's the national fruit of hell."

"They have an exquisite taste. Besides, I'm not the one who eats potato chips dipped in icing," Loki points out.

"I was pregnant, what's your excuse?" Lou asks dryly, slathering her cheap roll in butter. Loki seats himself next to her, taking a delicate bite of his fruit. Lou falters her eating when she sees his mouth slowly chew, lips glistening with orange juice. "You shouldn't be allowed to eat in front of humans."

Loki arches a brow. "I don't follow."

"I mean, only you can make eating Satan's favorite food look sexy. It's not fair," Lou replies. Loki snickers, then places the orange back onto the tray and takes her roll. "Hey, don't be a bread-napper-"

He cuts her off by pulling her in for a searing kiss, one that has her fingers threading through his hair and butterflies rocketing around her stomach. His lips guide hers with ease, index finger and thumb clutching her chin gently. Lou tastes the orange on his tongue, deciding the fruit isn't so bad after all. Loki pulls away first, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead.

"Well, okay. I guess oranges aren't all that bad," Lou says breathlessly. He snickers, picking up his orange again and gently peeling more of the fruit. Lou is about to take a bite of her roll when the door swings open, suprising both of them.

"Loki!" Thor shouts, looking both ragged and breathless. Loki recovers from his surprise, then glowers at his brother and hunches his shoulders. "Brother, you best have an explanation for-"

"Hush, Thor. You're making a scene," Loki snaps, eyeing the patients in the hallway that turned at the sound of Thor's outburst.

Thor strides farther into the room, eyes darting between Lou and his brother. "My lady, has he harmed you in any way?"

"Huh?" Lou asks, then flushes. "Uh, no. We're kind of...friends."

Loki arches a brow at her, then looks back to Thor. "Satisfied? Of course. Close the door on your way out."

"I cannot let you stay, Loki," Thor sighs, sad eyes casting over his brother. Loki tenses, eyes darkening.

"You are not my father," Loki growls. "I have harmed no one."

Thor throws his hands up in exasperation. "You plowed our vehicle into a pole! And left me there to rot!"

"You managed to get here, clearly," Loki points out. Lou snickers, then tries to cover it up with a cough.

"Loki, you must understand that I honestly cannot let you stay," Thor pleads. Loki stands, rolling his shoulders back.

"She is my Jane, Thor. I will not leave her again," Loki grinds out, glowering at the widening of his brother's eyes. He never wanted Thor to know about Lou, but if telling his imbecile of a brother means he can stay with her, by all means he'd do it.

"Loki..."

"Tell whoever you need to tell that I escaped, eluded you, whatever. But do not make me abandon her once again," Loki orders firmly. Lou looks between the two brothers, biting the inside of her cheek nervously. If Thor took Loki away from her once again, she'd volunteer to punch him right in the nose.

"I...brother, I am not able to trust you here alone," Thor says, but his stance relaxes.

Lou perks up, blue eyes wide. "Look, I know you idiots have your problems or whatever, but can I at least get a say?"

They turn to her in surprise. Lou takes a deep breath, then continues. "Look, Loki's brother. You can come to my house, check in every once in a while, but please...don't take him away again."

Loki's brows hit his hairline, but he takes her hand nonetheless. Thor watches the blatant display of affection, then sighs. "Please do not make me regret this, Loki."

Thor sticks out a hand for his brother to take. Loki eyes it with distaste, before hesitantly taking his brother's hand and giving it a quick shake. Thor gives Loki one last apprehensive look, before making his way out of the room.

"Damn, you really do have brother problems," Lou says, just before Diana waltzes into the room.

"Oh my god, the cutest baby was just put in the NICU and I almost screamed. I mean, he's not as much of a lady-killer as Kurt, but he was still pretty damn cute," Diana rambles.

Loki rolls his eyes, sinking back into his chair.

What a day.

They take Kurt home after a few weeks (four weeks and three days, to be exact). Lou climbs out of the taxi, Kurt bundled in her arms like an eskimo to protect him from the icy air.

"Welcome home, champ," Lou mutters to her bundle. Loki helps her up the stairs, Diana rambling about some theater show that no one else gives a crap about behind them. Unlocking the door, they're greeted by the scent of home and all the Christmas decorations still strung up.

"Geez, you didn't even take this crap down? How thoughtful," Lou turns to Diana, rolling her eyes. Diana grins sheepishly, then perks up.

"Come on, I want you to see the crib! Oh my god, it's so cute," Diana squeals, pulling Lou's arm and dragging her down the hall. Lou peers inside her bedroom, eyes brightening at the small white crib positioned in front of the window. Loki strides up behind them, arching a brow.

"Won't the sunlight disturb him?" He asks. Always thinking of the negative, that one.

"There's curtains for a reason, Beavis," Lou replies. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head when Kurt yawns. "Oh, is somebody sleepy? Come one, let's get you to bed."

Loki makes a face as Lou coos at the child. Over the weeks, she'd grown more into her mommy roll, reminding him slightly of Diana with each passing day. He watches Lou place Kurt gently into the crib, listening to her humming.

"I'm in the mood for Chinese. You guys want anything?" Diana asks after a moment, whisking away to get the phone. Lou walks to Loki, leaning against him and peering at the crib.

"This has all happened so fast," she muses.

Loki rubs her elbows gently, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of her head. "You're a wonderful mother, Lou."

"I know that, Stimpy," Lou replies with a roll of her eyes, but grins. "I guess we should start taking Christmas decorations down. I'm tired of seeing that stupid snowman shaking it's ass in my front window."

Loki follows her out of the room, after Lou double checks the baby monitors. Thankfully, David had half the mind to take care of the tree, but everything else seems to be in the same place. Lou begins to strip down garland from the mantle, and Loki works on the lights around the window.

"I ordered you that soup you like, Lou. Loki, I hope you eat meat," Diana mutters as she walks into the living room, placing the phone back on it's hook.

"Great, now you can help us take this crap down," Lou says, giving her sister a winning smile. Diana makes a face, but starts putting some decorations in the boxes Loki had gotten from the attic.

"I think David might be gay," Diana says after a few moments. Loki nearly drops the string of lights in his hands, and Lou lets out a snort.

"Yeah, because the leather pants shouldn't have been a signal the first time you met," Lou replies, voice dripping with sarcasm. Diana huffs, placing her hands on her hips. Loki arches a brow, rolling up the lights without a word, but keeps a close eye on the two females before him.

Over the months of living with them, he'd learned that the more observant you are, the more aspects of their personalites you can unveil. Loki makes a face. For the love of Valhalla, he's been living with women for too long.

"I'm serious, Lou-Lou. We were getting it on at his salon the other day and he was looking at a picture of Liam Hemsworth the entire time. It would've been more disturbing if Liam wasn't so damn cute, but still," Diana rants. Lou opens her mouth to reply but the doorbell cuts her off. Diana makes a face. "I got it."

Lou brushes off her hands, nearly face-planting on the carpet from tripping over that fucking ass-shaking snowman. "For the love of god, would someone get this slutty snowman out of my house?"

Loki snickers, picking up the perpetrator of Lou's fall, placing it in one of the boxes. Lou stands, glowering at the snowman smiling up at her from the cardboard box.

At the front door, Diana brushes off her hands and swings it open. "Well, hi there."

The handsom man blinks for a long moment, then remembers he's supposed to speak. "I, uh...er, is, um...is Lou Piper in?"

Diana arches a brow. "Depends. Who might you be, young sir?"

The man's mouth pops open at being called young sir, but he quickly closes it before he can drool on himself. "Steve Rogers. A...friend."

"Alrighty then, fine by me. Lou-Lou, you have a hot friend at the door!" Diana shouts over her shoulder, then turns back to Steve with an arched brow. "So, Mister Muscles, where'd you two meet? Was it a match made in heaven? Oh, by the way, she's already found her soulmate or something retarded like that so you might be out of luck."

"I...what? Oh, um, no. I'm just here to...check in," he mumbles, cheeks flushing. Lou appears behind Diana, hair a mess and sweater lopsided.

"Hey, Steve. Diana, get out of the way. Sorry, come in," Lou apologizes, shoving Diana out of the way and nearly sending her plowing into the wall. Steve steps inside, awkwardly standing in the foyer. "Want any coffee? Water?"

"No thank you," Steve says politely. Diana recovers, sticking her tongue out at her sister and turning back to the hunk of man-meat standing awkwardly next to her.

"So, what's up Steve-o?" Lou asks, immediately getting back to putting away decorations, not even noticing Steve go rigid and Loki's body tense. "Anything new...oh."

"Loki," Steve says curtly. Loki's features harden and he cocks a brow, staying silent.

"Wow, this is just like an episode of Days of Our Lives," Diana whispers to Lou, who bats her away.

"I guess you're here to check in then?" Lou asks, and Steve nods.

"How are you all...holding up?" Steve asks curtly, turning to Lou.

She shrugs, fiddling with the Santa figurine in her hands. "Fine, today's our first day out of the hospital."

Steve nods looking around. "Any...incidents?"

"Uh, no. Unless you count me falling over a minute ago," Lou replies. Steve nods. He does another sweep of the living room, before excusing himself.

"I should be going, then," he says, turning to the door. Diana pounces to the table, shouting for him to wait. She grabs her business card for the nail salon, handing it to him a little breathlessly.

"You're attractive and I think my boyfriend is gay. We should get coffee sometime." Steve relaxes a bit, flushing slightly. He takes the card gingerly, giving Diana a shy look.

"That sounds nice, thank you," Steve says. He gives Lou a friendly wave and Loki a dark look before heading out the door.

"Well, that went well."

Lou bolts upright in her bed, breathing heavily and an odd feeling coiling in her gut. Loki sits up as well, eyes bleary.

"Lou?" He questions, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lou rushes to the crib, eyes trained on a sleeping Kurt almost posessively.

"Sorry, I just got a really weird feeling," Lou mutters, shaking her head and walking back to bed. It's the second time tonight that she'd woken, the first time being from Kurt wailing. It took them nearly an hour to get him back to sleep, but they'd managed.

Loki pulls her to him, giving her a soft kiss in the process. "It's just the mother in you."

She smiles slightly, yawning. They settle back to go to sleep, but Lou catches sight of her bedside table and sits upright again. "Where's the monitor?"

"Pardon?" Loki asks, and Loki flips on the lightswitch.

"The baby monitor. I have one in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one in here. The one in here is gone," Lou says frantically, scrambling out of bed and fluttering around the bedroom, searching for the monitor.

"Maybe you left it somewhere," Loki replies with a yawn, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. And of course, the lights wake Kurt and his cries start up again. Lou hurries to the crib, picking up the wailing baby and cradling him in her arms.

Loki climbs out of bed as well, taking Kurt from Lou's arms and rocking him gently as Lou continues to frantically roam around her room. "No, I double checked it before I went to bed, remember? I wanted to do it a third time but you told me to relax because he's in the room with us."

Lou whirls around, then sinks to her knees and wildly searches under the bed. Kurt's cries finally die down, and Loki rubs the baby's back gently, protectively sheilding the child in his arms.

"Maybe Diana took it," Loki suggests. Lou shakes her head.

"I would have heard her, Loki. Someone took it," Lou retorts, running a shaking hand through her hair.

"Someone's been in my room."

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun. Hope you guys liked this chapter, please review! :)