Hi! Sorry for the unusual delay but I'm sick and it's been difficult for me to write. Anyway I managed to finish this and I hope you like it even if it's different from the other chapters.

Explaining the title : Lethe (ληθη) in Greek means forgetting. The fruit of Lethe refers to Odysseus and his trip to the island of the Lotus eater. His men ate the fruit of the lotus and forgot about their families and homes back in Ithaca.

Just a hint

Half of a man

Eating the fruit of Lethe

The room was dark. A faint light was dancing on the walls but darkness prevailed. Loki took a step forward and the floor squeaked. He did it again, pressing the sole of his boot, back and forth.

"I think we are on some kind of wooden floor." He said but got no reply.

"Maybe we are in some kind of house." He added but again no one replied.

"Maybe we are in some kind of dimension where mortal women turn into stone." But again nothing.

"Natasha, are you here?" he asked worried and looked for her in the dark. He managed to reach her shoulder and he heard her gasp. He turned around and caressed her face. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"What did you mean exactly by saying I carry your child?" she asked him. Loki froze for a moment but let himself laugh at her question.

"I believe that I used the same term they use in Midgard. You, my lovely spider, are with child, pregnant, there is a little man growing inside you." He said touching her stomach.

"How do you know? We're not together that long and it is too early for knowing…"

"I need not to remind you of my power to know such gifts. I am, as you humans like to say, a god, after all." He said and hugged her kissing her forehead. Natasha leaned on his chest breathing in his scent.

She couldn't believe it.

She was going to have a child; Loki's child.

She was going to be a mother.

How could she be a mother, she barely looked after herself. She was nothing like Pepper when it came to children. The only interaction she had with the Stark kids was their fighting training. They were having a good time though…

What would she tell her children when they would grow up and ask how mommy and daddy met? Oh, I met your father during his invasion in Earth. I was an ex – spy and a SHIELD agent and I kicked his villain ass in interrogation.

That actually sounded kind of cool… if you left out the whole killing people and red ledger out.

Oh, Natasha, focus! First things first, you need to find that stupid stick and go save the world. When the world is safe and if you are still alive along with that little bundle in you, then you will worry about it.

Natasha took a deep breath and broke Loki's hug.

"Usually there's a light switch right by the door." She said and looked for it with her hand. Finally she found something and the room was showered in light.

They were inside a house indeed; a very familiar house made of dark wood and extraordinary handicraft furniture. There were dark, green, thick, carpets all over and a big living room ahead of them. The two of them stepped forward and reached the big couch in the living room. It was the same couch Loki had been sleeping over a month ago.

Was it really that recently?

Had it been only one month since he had lied down, alongside Natasha, next to his lake and had strangled to find out the truth about his dreams?

"We are in your house in Norway." Natasha vocalized his thoughts.

"Yes, but much has changed." He replied looking around. There were new furniture, like bookshelves and a dining table, a big television with various cables coming out of it and a variety of books and toys spread all across the hall.

"It looks as if there are people living here." She added and Loki nodded. He walked to where Natasha had slept for the few nights she had stayed. The room looked definitely bigger and more casual. There were green carpets and bed sheets as well, clothes were on the dresser and a few photos were on the walls.

"Loki!" Natasha yelled and he exited the room to follow her. She was standing at the feet of the stairs looking at the dark wall. There were portraits on it, different than those he had been met with every time he woke up in the morning. There was of course Nancy's portrait but instead of the rest of the Royal line there were portraits of Frigga and Odin, Thor, him and Natasha and a family portrait with Natasha holding a baby and a red headed boy standing alongside him.

"At least we know we are not facing our past again." He said.

"Does that mean we are facing the future?" she asked him.

A loud noise was heard from the first floor and a big, black cat ran down the stairs fast.

"A black cat?" Natasha said.

"Do you believe in jinx?" Loki asked her but soon their attention was caught by the screams on the floor.

"No, Fury! Come back!" a young boy yelled.

"Let the stupid cat be gone! I wish I could transform it into dust and blow it away!" a second young voice was heard and quite soon two pairs of feet were seen descending the stairs. Loki and Natasha were standing at the end of it with their hands folded, waiting. The two children froze at the sight of them. All four of them looked equally surprised by what they were seeing.

"You are home early." The red haired boy said. He was around ten years old with green eyes that resembled those of Loki. The boy in front of him looked at them with a set of green blue eyes as he tried to take the final steps unnoticed probably to find the cat. He was quite younger than his brother, around five years of age and had black hair that reached his neck.

"But we are home." Loki said trying to analyze the situation. He could feel his magic returning and with that his telepathy to Natasha. At least they both had the same picture. That was their home and those boys were their children.

"And we don't like what we see." Natasha added. They needed to buy some time and figure things out.

"Vali…" the younger boy said in a sweet voice that resembled that of a singing bird.

"No, Narfi…" the older boy argued and the both of them started speaking simultaneously getting louder by the second.

"Silence!" Loki yelled and the two boys stopped. "I hate it when I remind me of my father." The young god added looking at Natasha.

"Vali, was the living room like that when we left?" Natasha asked. The red haired boy looked at her and shook his head. "Has the cat broken something that it wasn't supposed to?" she asked again.

"It's not my fault, Narfi, brought Mr. Fury in my room and put him on me while I was asleep. I got scared seeing him suddenly over my face and … well…"

"Do not lie, Vali." Loki said looking at his son knowingly. The boy looked at him and swallowed hard.

"Ok, I stayed up late to look at the late star shower on the telescope and the stupid cat appeared out of nowhere and scared me. I kicked it out of instinct!" the boy said.

"No, you hate Mr. Fury! He just wanted to keep you company and you kicked him!" the younger boy said.

"did not!"

"Did too"

"I will not yell again." Loki said silencing them once more. "What was broken?" Loki asked them. The two boys looked at each other before answering.

"The column of memories." Narfi said.

Loki and Natasha looked at each other confused. What was this Column of Memories? It had to be something important for the boys to look so upset. Maybe it was another magic object like the Arc of fear.

The four of them walked up the stairs. Vali and Narfi stopped at the last step waiting for Loki and Natasha to pass them. The two adults reached the small corridor and switched the light.

There were broken glasses everywhere and various things were spread on the carpet, most of them broken as well. Loki tried to sense anything magical that could come out of them but he shook his head at Natasha.

Everything seemed normal.

"Well, they sure are the children of the God of Chaos." She said pointing at the open door on their left. Quite a few objects where lying on the floor, damaged, along with toys and books.

"Well, the God of Chaos, surely, did not have them all by himself." Loki answered back smirking.

"Oh, well, it is known to happen." Natasha replied grinning.

"I have evidence that a two legged red head spider participated too." He said.

"Maybe but since you are the expert in Chaos, you should fix this." Natasha answered.

"Chaos not order; I believe what you are asking is order my dear." Loki replied smirking. Natasha crossed her arms and pointed her look at him.

"Loki, the glass, now." She commanded and the Asgardian god laughed lightly before moving his hand to restore everything in its place.

The column of memories stood before them all shiny and glassy with a paper sign written possibly by the youngest one. Inside it there were rocks of various colours and wooden toys made by the dwarfs as well as pictures of them and some very familiar faces.

"So, there's the column of memories." Natasha said. Loki nodded and pointed at a picture on the second shelf.

"Is that Jotunheim?" Loki asked. The two children looked at him confused and approached them.

"No, that's from last Christmas in Russia." Narfi said.

"You said Jotunheim is not safe for little children." Vali added looking at him suspiciously. Loki nodded and smirked at the two boys.

"Well, Russia looks like Jotunheim a lot except that Jotun women are prettier." He said and got a punch on his shoulder from nowhere.

"Your puny father lost a lot of energy and doesn't know what he is talking about. You'd better go to bed, now, it's late." Natasha said and the two boys laughed out aloud before saying goodnight and disappearing into their rooms.

"Father?" Loki wondered looking at the two doors. Natasha came from behind and stood by his side.

"Well, they are your children." She said.

"As much as they are yours." He added and kissed her. They stayed like that and then turned around to look at the pictures. There were various pictures of them in the forest, in the beach, in Asgard, in New York… There were pictures of their friends as well and Loki's family.

"Is that who I think it is?" Natasha said indicating a picture on the lowest shelf.

"Yes, I believe that is Mildred Stark holding a baby." Loki said. "And that is Tony Stark with grey hair." He added.

"Oh my, I think… look… that must be Edward and Marie and Logan." Natasha said identifying the adolescents as the Stark kids.

"What is Barton doing with my children?" Loki asked unhappy.

"I think the question is, what are your babies doing to Barton?" Natasha said smiling seeing the picture with her best friend and partner being knocked out by two much younger Lokisons.

Loki looked at her and the both of them smiled awkwardly.

Lokisons

It was happening.

"What is this test Loki? What are we doing here?" She asked him.

"I do not know but we will find out soon enough. Let's get down and have some sleep." He said leading her to the ground floor.

"What if something happens while we are asleep?" Natasha said worried.

"Do not worry, my spider, I will stay awake and guard our future while you rest." He said opening the door to the old guest room. He helped Natasha take off her boots and the Russian climbed on the bed. She hadn't realized how tired she had been. Loki lied down next to her and gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair until she fell asleep.

He felt safe there even though he knew they weren't. They had to get out of there soon or else the cave would suck them in.

Natasha woke up a few hours later feeling a lot more relaxed and ready to face everything. She could feel Loki being near, he was still holding her. His breath was deep and even but he was not asleep. A quick glance towards him told her that.

"You'd better catch some sleep too before all chaos breaks lose." She said getting up. Loki chuckled and kissed her neck before she had a chance to read his intentions.

"I am Chaos remember?" he said. Natasha buried her hands in his hair and kissed him back savoring the moment. It seemed like an eon ago that she had last felt his sweet lips. He traveled low, down her abdomen relieving her from her T-shirt. He kissed her stomach as his talented fingers worked on her pants.

"Loki…" she gasped.

"Yes, that is my name." he replied.

"Loki, the children…" she said suppressing a moan. Loki tossed the pair of pants away and caressed her thighs.

"They are asleep."

"They will wake up soon." She argued.

"We will lock the door." He replied planting feather kisses on her inner thigh.

"What if something happens like last night?" she asked breathless.

"For Odin's name, woman!" Loki yelled frustrated. "For an ex spy and the deadliest woman on Midgard you're quite the worrying mother." Loki said and laughed. He brought himself over her and kissed her lips. "Get up." He commanded softly. Natasha looked at him weird but he had no time for that. He swept her off her feet and disappeared in the bathroom.

It was still quite early when Natasha emerged from their bedroom to the dark hallway. She was relaxed and happy. She never thought this could be a good break. She looked on her left and decided to walk up the stairs. She entered Vali's room first. She tiptoed to his bed unnoticed, like the spy she was and sat on the edge of the bed. The young boy was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and innocent.

That was the child in her womb. How had two monsters made something so beautiful?

She remembered what the Norse mythology said about Vali and Narfi. He was supposed to kill him and then Loki would be captured with his son's entrails. Seeing him now, she couldn't believe that something like that could happen. No, her babies would never do that.

Natasha smirked and looked out of the window. Oh, how she understood Frigga right now!

She looked back at Vali and caressed his red hair.

After all, not all legends are true, wasn't that what Loki had told her?

The small boy moved and ever so lightly opened his green eyes. They were shining in the dark just like Loki's.

"Mom?" he said in his sleepy voice. "do I have to get up?" he asked hiding his face in his pillow.

"Not just yet, Vali. The sun has yet to rise." She told him.

"So no early running today?" he asked her surprising her. Well, she assumed that early training would be something she would with her children. She did with Stark's children so why not with hers?

"No, you stay and sleep." She said and kissed his head. "You will wake up when you smell breakfast." She said smiling and left the boy to sleep.

She went to Narfi's room next. There was a power in sleeping children she couldn't deny. It was like a testament that innocence did exist in the world.

She walked to the bed but to her great surprise she found it empty. A small amount of panic hit her but then she remembered the cat.

Mr. Fury? Really?

With a scandalous smirk on her face and the hope that she would find her youngest where she guessed he was she descended the stairs and searched the living room. Luckily the cat was purring so loud that it was impossible not to hear it. She walked to the kitchen and opened the lights.

The sight made her laugh and melt at the same time. The little boy had snuggled along with the black cat inside the basket. She approached the pair and fell on her knees to attend to the situation. She caressed the cat enough to wake her.

It had such a soft skin and a look of superiority, like it knew it was a royal cat or something. Natasha lifted the cat away from the basket and reached her son.

"Narfi… Narfi wake up." She said but the boy was heavy sleeper. "Narfi, honey, Mr. Fury ran away." She said. The boy extended his hand to confirm the statement and when he came with nothing but the pillow he bolted up.

Oh, she was such a terrible mother.

"Mr. Fury!" The boy cried but the cat jumped back on the basket calming him down.

"Narfi, you shouldn't sleep in there, you have a bed and that's Mr. Fury's bed." Natasha said trying hard not to laugh.

"But… he was scared and hurt. I had to make sure he was alright." The young boy said in sleepy voice.

It was adorable. Natasha never thought she would say it but he was adorable. He was like an innocent and naïve mini-Loki with the most wonderful eyes she had ever seen.

"Mr. Fury is a tough guy, he's been through worse." She said and as of instinct she took him in her arms to carry him back in his room. The small boy rapped his limbs around her like a small octopus. Oh, the smell of the little baby! It made her want to squeeze him and never let him go.

Haha, so much for the cold hearted Black Widow.

"Mom?" Narfi said as Natasha put him into bed. "My birthday is in two days." He said. Natasha smiled and nodded.

"It is so?" she said.

"Yes, can we have a party this year? I want to invite Morgan and Jenny and Arthur…"

"Ok, honey, we'll see what we can do." Natasha said.

"But no elves this year, they weren't nice the last time." He said before he fell asleep taking her aback.

The red head woman walked down the stairs again and decided to give a try at making breakfast for her men. She opened the cupboards and found them of all sorts of things.

Ok, either there's someone taking care of things here or she had really changed.

She grabbed some flour and eggs and proceeded in making pancakes. That was something they would surely adore. Not more than an hour later she saw Loki emerging from their room clad only in a pair of black slacks.

He looked really hot with that sleepy look on his face and his hair being a mess.

"Did I wake you?" She asked him as he hugged her, still half asleep sniffing at the smell of pancakes.

"Your breakfast did; I hope you have gotten better since our time in New York." he said and got elbowed away.

"You did attack all of my plates with quite the appetite if I remember correctly." She said with a menacing look.

"Ehehe, now woman, do not fret. Besides every time that lunch consisted of flour and eggs, you were quite the appetizer." He said and got another playful punch on his arm. Loki laughed and grabbed her kissing her lips hungrily. It didn't take long for Natasha to respond and run her hands up and down his bare back.

"Yack."

"Grosse."

Two young voices were heard and the two adults broke up trying to catch their breaths. Loki laughed as he turned around to look at his sons.

His sons

He couldn't believe it. He must have done something right to be granted with two beautiful boys like them. They did look a lot like them but he could clearly see Natasha in both of them. The way Vali stood, his hair, Narfi's big eyes… they were perfect.

"Ehehe, boys will be boys. I will wait until you are in you adolescence and then I will yuck you and grosse you." He said falling to their level. He messed their already messed hair and walked back to his bedroom to put on a T-shirt more out of decency than anything else. He came back finding his little family around the table enjoying their meal.

"Daddy, can we have a party for my birthday? Please, please, please!" Narfi said the moment the prince sat on his chair. Loki grabbed a pancake and smelled it to tease Natasha who narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why not?" He answered.

"Because the elves attacked us the last time." Vali said pretty serious. If that affected Loki he didn't show it.

"Well, everything turned out good for us to be here so…" he said purring some orange juice in his glass.

"Great! We never have visitors and now everyone will be coming!" Narfi said. He was just a little bundle of joy; strange for someone who resembled Loki so much.

"Who's everybody, sweetheart?" Natasha asked him.

"Well, Ms. Tolo for one and Jenny and Uncle Bruce and Hawkey…" he said making Natasha choke on the last one.

"Hawkey?" she said.

"As if you didn't get it." Loki said smirking.

Natasha tried to hide her smile but it was of no use. As their breakfast continued she forgot all of her problems and let the joyful talk of the guest list fill her ears.

"When will Ms. Tolo come? It's past her time." Vali said suddenly.

"She won't come today, silly! It's Saturday." Narfi said grinning. Vali nodded and finished his food.

"Since you have nothing to do then maybe we should discuss your punishment for last night." Loki said absent minded. The two boys looked at him with eyes wide open.

"Dad, not the stables again, please!" Vali said in a desperate voice. Loki smirked remembering how that had been his worst punishment until he mastered the cleaning spell.

"Well… maybe you should clean the house then. It resembles the stables a lot thanks to you." Loki said making the boy bend his head.

"As for you young man…" Loki said looking at Narfi whose eyes were as big as a cartoon's.

"I didn't do anything!" he protested.

"Did you not play with the video game whose cables are everywhere?" Loki said and the small boy tried to answer.

"Did you not scatter your toys all around the living room along with your brother?

Were you not awake late at night beyond your bed time while we were out?" Loki said making the boy pout.

"Maybe he should come with you to clean the garden and search for logs for the fire place." Natasha said.

Their meal was over and father and son left the house leaving Natasha alone with Vali.

"So, you start there, I start here and whoever gets to finish first will get a favor." She said and the boy smirked a familiar mischievous smirk.

"No magic." She added and his head fell.

Loki and Narfi were cleaning the wild herbs away from their small garden. It was bigger than that he had made when he had first settled there. It was nowhere near the size of the gardens in Asgard but it was quite big and had everything, from vegetables to unique flowers and trees. All the trees near their house seemed to be at their best season all year around. It was as if his mood reflected on their branches.

After a couple of hours they were both filthy, with dirt all over them. He could of course have used magic but he was supposed to teach his younger son a lesson; to take over his responsibilities and admit his faults so he can fix them.

Ironic, ha?

"Dad, are we finished?" the small boy complaint buried among the tall flowers. Loki found him lied down with his feet and arms spread among a bunch of Tih'ara, a flower he had created. The young god crossed his arms and smirked at his son. He was shorter than he had been at his age but he had his features and magic. His eyes though… They reminded him of Natasha so much; big, blue green that looked at everything with wonder.

Like a small alien in a foreign planet.

"Oh, it is you down there; and I thought some kind of pig had invaded our garden." Loki and the little guy burst into laughter.

"Daddy, I'm not a piggy!" he giggled.

"Really? Well, you look like a piggy and you smell like a piggy so…" Loki said grabbing him and tossing him over his shoulder like he would have done with a hunt and started walking out of the garden yelling.

"Hey, Natasha, Vali, look what I found. A piggy got in our garden and I caught it! I have a piggy! He is going to be nice dinner! Thor should come and have a bite! Oh, I should have a bite first." He said biting at his leg. Narfi laughed out loud causing Natasha and Vali to get out.

"God, you're a mess." She said. Loki looked inside the house and arched an eyebrow.

"I thought you would clean the house not create chaos. That's my specialty." He said.

"We did but mom lost and she was showing me some moves so…" Vali said and Loki nodded.

"That's all I need." Loki said.

"Oh, do you want to try?" Natasha said putting her arms on her waist.

"Fight against the Black Widow? Always a pleasure." Loki said smirking.

"Let the piggy down, first!" Narfi yelled from his shoulder and every body laughed.

Loki let him down and everyone ran to the lake near the shelter. Before they took positions to fight both the adults noticed the giant wolf at the other end of the small lake.

It was just for a second and then he disappeared.

Something weird was going on with the lake but soon they would forget it again.

Two days later they were all celebrating Narfi's birthday near that lake. Thor and Jane were there along with their daughter Jenny, Odin and Frigga and the warriors three. Hawkeye was the first to come wearing normal clothes. He and Loki succeeded in exchanging a few words without killing each other. Steve came along with Maria Hill, Bruce as well. The Starks managed to get there last. Tony's hair was grey around the temples but Pepper was forever beautiful. Edward and Marie were blathering about some new game that apparently they had made. Logan disappeared with Vali the moment he saw him.

"Uncle Loki!" a small boy yelled and ran towards him. He had messy brown hair and chestnut eyes that reminded him of someone.

"Morgan!" Loki said and hugged the boy back. Mildred was not far behind followed by her loyal Riley who was talking to the phone instead of her.

"Hello my friend, it's been a lot of time." She said.

"Indeed." Loki replied. Narfi grabbed Morgan and Jenny and to play hide and seek.

All of those people.

He knew them. He knew their names, their past, he even had memories of them but… something was off.

He searched for Natasha and saw her talking to Barton and Bruce. The red head sensed his gaze and looked back at him. She felt the same. He could tell. It was as if they were there but they didn't exist.

What was wrong?

"What happens once you're king of the mountain?" a girl said. Loki turned around and saw that the youngsters had abandoned hide and seek and were playing some kind of role game.

"None of these ends with you on top." Morgan said.

Loki felt Natasha standing by his side. Suddenly two red head boys, Logan and Vali appeared sparring with two sticks.

"Puny God!"

"What are you going to do without your stick?" Jenny said.

"It's a spear!" Both Lokisons yelled.

Loki looked at Natasha with a knowing look. She nodded. There was something… something in the back of their minds. It was straggling to get out but something… something was blocking it.

A weird feeling wrapped them. It was fear and despair. They had forgotten something.

What?

What was that spear?

The stick

The spear

The scepter

Suddenly Loki turned around and locked eyes with the giant wolf on the other side of the lake. Natasha did the same. The wolf meant something.

Why did the wolf mean something to her?

What's with the wolf?

That's Fenrir; he's a friend of mine.

Cold; she remembered being very cold in a land of giants.

She remembered a cave… a spear.

"Hodnir" Loki whispered. Natasha looked at him trying to remember. Loki looked at the happy feast scared.

Nothing of that was real.

They were still inside that cave and the world was not safe; the world was falling apart.

Upon that realization the wolf jumped over the lake and landed in front of him. Only he wasn't Fenrir anymore. It was him, in his Jotun form but instead of blue skin his was charcoal black. His red eyes were shining and had a sinister smile on his face, the huge horns that used to be part of his helmet were now part of his body and in his filthy hand he held a honey crystal spear.

Hodnir

I hope you liked it. Next comes the battle between our heroes and their evil twins.

Who will win? Who will get the spear and get out of the cave?

Note that I just decided that this story will hardly reach the 40 chapters and I'm racing time so I can update as fast as possible.