-Author Comments-

So a few of you loyal followers have been asking how James sees Loki as a mother figure and Stark as a father figure. To make a long story short, Loki is James's real mother and Tony is her real father. I have based my Loki off of the traditional mythology Loki. So yes, he did transform himself into a woman and he ended up getting knocked up after he got Tony drunk one night for information. And they don't get along all that well, still, so that's why they don't live together. The other Avengers accepted it a long time ago. I hope that helps you understand the back story and how James came to be!

And don't worry – the other Avengers will show up eventually!

-Chapter 9-

"Yes, Stark," Loki sighed, lowering his lanky frame into one of the plush chairs. "She's safe. She made it over here all by herself. She-" He looked up at his daughter and smiled. "She's a big girl, Stark. She will be just fine."

James looked down at her hands, twining her fingers together. "Sorry, mom. I didn't know I was gonna cause this much trouble."

Loki frowned, putting one finger in the air. "Yes, Stark. I'll bring her home." A brief pause while Loki rolled his eyes. "I'll bring her home when she decides to. Yes. Now if that's all-"

Loki took the phone away from his ear and James could hear the anger. Her eyes grew wide as she looked from the phone to her mother. Loki grinned and ended the call. He got up and stretched, wondering what else they could do. They had already pigged out on ice cream, ordered two pizzas, one with cheese for her and one with everything for him. They had watched videos of when she was younger, each one making him smile when not so long before they had wrenched his heart out.

"So, little bird," Loki said as he crouched down in front of his movie cabinet. "What do you think? Should we watch a movie? I've got a few of them... Or there's that thing that Jane introduced to us... That thing where the movies are online?"

James arched an eyebrow. "Netflix?"

Loki smiled, his face brightening. "Ah, yes! Netflix. Me and your uncle, now that we promised we'd play nice, watch that all the time. He likes watching the action movies. To be honest, I find most of them to be a bore."

He grabbed his TV remote and pressed a button, bringing up the red Netflix screen. He tossed it over to his daughter, who swiped it out of the air carelessly. Loki sighed briefly as he settled himself into the chair, his stomach somersaulting. With a grimace, he rubbed the stomach, making a mental note to not eat half a carton of ice cream and a pizza and a half. James scrolled through the movies, finally ending up on the last Ice Age movie.

She always had loved that damn sloth.

His phone buzzed, drawing his eyes away from the screen. Her father was blowing up the phone again. Loki sighed internally, glancing over at his daughter. She sat snuggled into the corner of the couch, blanket wrapped around her, eyes glued to the screen. Loki smiled slightly, thinking back to the last time he had watched this movie. It had been with his brother Thor's family, the choice having been made by Trent, now a gracious boy of 5.

He quickly unlocked the screen of the smart phone, pulling up his messages. He scrolled to Thor, mashing the name on the screen. Before he typed up the message, he glanced back up at his daughter and cleared his throat.

"Little bird," Loki started as he leaned forward, placing one hand on her arm. "Do you mind if I ask your uncle over? He's been asking after you and I thought it would be a good idea." He squeezed her arm slightly, offering comfort. "But it is your choice, love. I won't force you to do something you do not wish to."

James slowly drew her eyes from the screen to turn and look at him. He saw the light slowly leave her eyes as they became hollow and desolate. The forced smile that pulled at her lips made his stomach churn. She nodded briefly before averting her gaze back to the screen, getting lost in the pictures once more. He glanced back up at the movie. With a start, he turned back to his daughter, placing his hand once again on her arm.

"I'll ask him to bring Trent," Loki said, his voice dripping with excitement. "That boy hasn't stopped asking about you since you were taken."

James allowed the words to sink in. Her heart leapt with joy as she thought of her cousin. The sweet baby had been the focal point of her life before she had been forced to give him up that day. How much had he grown? How much had Thor and Jane changed? She gnawed on her lower lip, the idea floating inside her mind. If it ended up badly, she could always go to sleep, right?

James looked up at her mother and grinned. "Sure, mom. Invite them over. The worst they can do is say n-"

She broke off as the door was thrown open, her uncle's laugh surging into the room. She looked at her father, arching one eyebrow in the silent question. Loki shrugged and got off of the chair, propelling himself into the kitchen. With a deep breath, she followed her mother, trying to stay behind him a much a possible. Thor stood in the room, his son on his hip.

The breath caught in her throat as she stared at the boy. He was five now, she realized with a start. Two long years had passed and the child had grown like a weed. He still had the piercing blue eyes and the sun-bleached hair. She smiled as the child nearly flew out of his father's arms, reaching for Loki. As Thor relinquished the child to his brother, he turned and laid eyes on her. His blue orbs lit up and he smiled, opening his arms wide.

James sniffled slightly, blinking back tears, before she ran into her uncle's arms. Thor gripped her tightly, inhaling the scent of her hair. Emotions tore though him as he thought back to the messages and phone calls he had had with the other Avengers earlier today. This sweet child had hurt herself and the thought of it killed him. James squeezed her arms around her uncle, not quite able to break off the contact and face the elephant in the room.

"Auntie Ray?" the quiet voice broke the silence of the room, drawing her eyes to the child in Loki's arms. "Auntie Ray!"

James stepped away from Thor, looking nervously from one adult to the other before laying her eyes on the child. His face had brightened immensely, his arms reaching out for her. Loki grunted as one well placed elbow met his stomach as the child went from one person to the next. James grasped the child tightly, listening as he babbled on and on. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she placed a gentle kiss upon the child's forehead.

"Auntie Ray, I missed you!" Trent rattled off before he leaned back to kiss her cheek. "You were gone for a long time."

Her heart sank slightly. She cleared her throat. "Yeah. I was gone for a long time, huh, buddy?" The child in her arms nodded. "Well, I don't plan on going anywhere for awhile, buddy. How about we go watch Ice Age, huh?"

The boy squealed in delight as they went back into the living room. She settled herself on the couch and smiled when Trent went and grabbed a blanket, bringing it to her. She pulled him into her lap, wrapping them both in the blanket before beginning the movie. Thor and Loki stood in the entrance of the kitchen, their gazes locked on the children.

"Brother," Thor said, his voice sad. "Did they tell you?"

Loki nodded, swallowing. "Yes. The one fellow told me... The one with the bow and arrow. Birdman?"

Thor laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Hawkeye. His name is Hawkeye, brother."

Loki scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Hawkeye or not. He told me of how she has been. How little she has eaten. How little interaction she's had." Loki looked over to his brother with a frown. "What is going on between those two, anyways, brother?"

Thor clapped his brother on the back, shrugging his own shoulders. "I do not know, Loki. I just know that I am glad she has at least one of us that she can go to talk to."

Loki placed his hands on his hips, glaring at his brother. "If he so much as touches my daughter-"

Thor sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Loki, she is of adult age in this realm. She is now old enough to make those choices for herself. All we are to do is stand fast and wait for her to come to us, brother." He looked back into the living room and he frowned. "When did she grow up?"

Loki thumped the heel of his hand against his forehead a few times. "You can trust that I have been asking myself the same question over and over again." He smiled at his daughter and nephew as James pointed out something on the screen. "It is so glad to have her back home again. I can breathe once more."

Thor smiled, his chest tight. "I can never tell you how sorry I am. If it weren't for me that day-"

Loki turned to glare at his brother. "No. Nothing you would have done that day would have changed anything. She still would have offered herself up to save him, and we both know it." Loki gave his brother a one armed hug. "We both know it."

The two adults went back into the living room, settling into their own recliners. James held Trent until he drifted off to sleep within the last few minutes of the movie. Thor had laughed quietly and grasped the child, pulling him into his arms. Loki and James said their goodnights and goodbyes, opening the door for them. James stopped briefly, placing a kiss on both Thor and Trent's cheek before her uncle turned and walked down the hallway, to his own apartment, she was guessing.

Loki yawned, stretching. "Little bird, your mother is beat. I'm going to go to bed. Do you need anything before?"

James shook her head. "No, mama. I think I might go to bed soon, as well. I'm kinda tired."

Loki nodded. "Your room I where it has always been, my sweet. I'm just down the hall if you need me. I love you."

James watched him walk down the hallway. She smiled as she heard him flop onto his bed like he always had before. She sunk back onto the couch, grabbing the remote on the way. While she was flipping through the programs on Netflix her phone buzzed. She quickly unlocked the screen, opening up the text message. Hawkeye's name glared at her, making her heart skip a beat.

How are you doing over there? -CB

James laughed, running her fingers across the smooth screen.

It has been a night... Is dad mad at me?

I wouldn't say mad.. Exactly. He's just taking it a little difficult. Not every day we go to your room and see you gone and we didn't know where you were... -CB

James rolled her eyes. Of course they hadn't found the note.

I wrote a note and left it on the table by the door, Hawkeye.

You should know better than that, Princess. We're men. We don't intentionally look for something unless it's a person. - CB

James held her breath, wondering if she should type out the question that had been in the back of her mind for the past two years. She let the breath out, whistling it through her teeth as she tapped the keys.

How long did you look for me?

We never stopped, Princess. Not once. And I hope I never have to go through it again. It was torture. -CB

James took a deep breath, looking at the small phone symbol on the screen of her phone. All it would take is for her to press the button and she could hear his voice. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip, staring at the phone. With a deep breath, she hit the button and listened to the ringing in her ear.

"Hello?" the voice on the other line answered, sounding confused.

"Hey," James said as she pressed the OK button on the remote to start the title on the screen. "I figured this would be easier than texting..."

"Oh, yeah? And why's that?"