AN I have been looking forward to writing this chapter, and hopefully, I did well; I feel like I should warn you there may be things some people may not like to read about, and some might seem out of character, I tried my best to keep everything realistic to the characters, but this is a happy chapter so, yeah, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 50 Family is Another word for Love
Loki sat in the game room; he had his feet propped up on the coffee table, one foot across over the other, his usual way of sitting, he was wearing black slacks and a green button-down silk shirt that was both dark green and black, switching colors depending on the light, next to him on the couch sat Kurt, over on the other sat Remy, they were playing a game on the video game console hooked to the TV, and Loki was spending his time between reading a book he got at the last planet they visited and watching their game, it was a basketball game, and if Loki wasn't mistaking Kurt was beating Remy at the game. He didn't know where the women of their family were, though Saphira did mention something about tending to her new flowers today; a couple of weeks back, Loki had bought her some flower seeds for some alien flowers, and already the ship was full of beautiful star-shaped, gold, and silver flowers.
Loki reached next to him at the cat sitting there and scratched Lucifer's head, the only cat on this craft that was not out to get him, and that was because Loki had healed his broken leg and Rosey, of course, was on the floor next to him, she's surprisingly grown on him, and has taken to be his helper when needed, Kurt had a theory that Rosey stuck by Loki and was protective of him because she thought it was her job, Saphira made her in a desperate attempt to save Loki from being killed by Ronan, so Rosey believes that's what her purpose was, to keep him safe; that theory made sense to Loki.
As he sat reading, Loki could sense whether then hear a buzzing noise; he was confused for a brief moment, then realized it was his phone, someone sent him a message, Loki held out his hand, and it appeared in it, Loki looked at the text he got; it was from Saphira, telling him not to panic. She wasn't hurt or anything, but she could use his help, then told him where she was. Loki sat down his book and stood, then left the game room. He thought it was cute that his wife was thoughtful enough to let him know not to panic, knowing if she had just said she needed his help, that he probably would have done just that.
When Loki got to the corridor Saphira was in, the first thing he noticed was the frustrated look his wife wore on her face; then he realized she was sitting on the floor; Loki wasn't a dumb God, so he was able to put two and two together and learn, Saphira had gotten down on the floor to tend her flowers and was now unable to get up, because of her large stomach, Loki couldn't help the sneaker that slipped his lips, which got him a glare from his wife, Loki didn't know if Saphira thought her angry look was scary, but Loki found it cute, she was way too beautiful to be able to look menacing.
"You needed my help with something," Loki asked, trying and failing at keeping the amused smile off his face.
"I can't get up," Saphira replied; Loki couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. "You're laughing at me."
"I would never laugh at you, darling," Loki replied, "I'm laughing at the situation." Loki chuckled at the third glare Saphira sent him.
"It's your fault I'm like this; you're the one that got me pregnant where I can't stand on my own, and you laugh at me, you're a very mean..." Saphira stopped her rant and began laughing, dropping her mad act. "It is funny, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is, love," Loki replied, holding his hands out to her; Saphira grabbed hold of them, and Loki pulled her up with ease. "Darling, your hands are filthy." He frowned at the dirt that had gotten on his hands from hers.
"Of course they are. I was working on my flower bed." Saphira grinned and held up her dirt-covered hands. "That's one of your favorite shirts. I could get revenge for you laughing at me."
"No, " Loki replied as he began to walk backward, "You keep away with that dirt."
Saphira giggled as she tried to chase after him, Loki laughing as he continued to walk backward, trying to avoid her rubbing dirt on him.
"Be nice, love; this shirt was expensive." Loki smiled; Saphira took pity on him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him when they broke apart; Loki slipped his arm through hers. "Come on, darling; we'll wash the dirt off our hands, then you can join me in the game room; that way, I'll be there if you need help getting up again."
"Hey, no teasing," Saphira said as they walked down the corridor together.
"Sorry, dear," Loki replied with a laugh.
A few days later, early morning, Saphira woke Loki; she was concerned about pain in her lower back and cramps in her stomach, which sounded like what Loki read about women going into labor, but she was suddenly burning up also, complained of being hot, and felt like she just got out of an oven fearing she was ill Loki rushed from the room ran down the corridor and went into Mystique's room, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her out of bed, before even waking her up.
"Loki." Mystique, now awake and confused, snapped, "What?"
"Saphira is ill," Loki said, looking at her with big pleading eyes.
"Okay, okay, I'll have a look at her." Mystique assured him, they left her room and walked down to his and Saphira's room; Mystique went right to her, asking her what was wrong then feeling of her forehead.
"I'm burning up, and pains in my back, and cramps in my stomach," Saphira replied. "Loki is worried I'm sick, but I don't have a sore throat or runny nose or whatever else sick people might get."
"You're not sick." Mystique answered, "You're in the early stages of labor."
"Are you sure?" Loki demanded. "What about her burning up."
"She has no symptoms pointing to being sick, but do for labor." Mystique explained, "Her being hot, when I had you, my body did the same thing; it somehow knows it's time for the baby to be born, so it's heating up to melt the ice in her womb so that the baby can come out."
"Thank God." Loki signed as he sat next to Saphira on the bed. Mystique put her hand on his shoulder.
"You still have a while yet, hours, maybe even a day, before it's time to deliver the baby; I suggest you try to go back to sleep, which is what I'm going to do." Mystique told him, "Don't come to wake me unless you see the baby's head coming..."
"Mum, please." Loki interrupted, making a face Mystique chuckle.
"You can stand slicing people up, but you can't handle the thought of your baby's head coming out of your wife's."
"Mother," Loki snapped, "Stop, I know what is going to happen, no need for a description."
"I think he's just nervous," Saphira spoke up. "Ouch."
"Darling?" Loki turned to her, worried.
"I'm fine, just a contraction, already passed," Saphira assured him. "Now do what your mother said, come crawl back in bed so I can snuggle to you; your cool body can keep me from burning up."
"I'll let you handle him; see you guys in a few hours," Mystique told them." She left the room; Loki stood and walked back over to his side of the bed.
"Take your top off," Saphira demanded as Loki was about to climb in bed.
"Pardon?" Loki asked, pausing with one knee on the bed.
"Take your top off so I can feel your cool skin while snuggling to you." Saphira said, "While you're at it, turn to your jotuun form; it's colder."
"Are you sure about that last one?" Loki asked, unbuttoning his pajama top. "I might freeze you in that form." He slipped his top off and tossed it on the floor.
"Considering I've made love to you in that form, I doubt it," Saphira told him; Loki did as she wanted and shifted into his jotuun form before lying down and allowing Saphira to snuggle to his cold chest; he smiled when she signed enjoying the coldness.
When they got out of bed a few hours later, Loki decided to get their room ready for the delivery; a while back, they had bought a protective cover to put on the mattress, and some cheap sheets and blankets, when they talked about where Saphira would have the baby, it was decided it would be in their room, in their bed, where she could be made the most comfortable, so, Loki bought stuff to protect their mattress from being stained or ruined, the same reason he bought some cheap bedding, so their good ones wouldn't get messed up. Loki stripped the good ones off the bed and fixed the new stuff on; he then got out baby clothes and blankets, a nightgown for Saphira to wear during delivery, and laid out pajamas for Saphira to change in after the delivery; he would make sure she had a tub of warm water when the time comes so she could bath afterward, Loki was sure Saphira would want to, from everything he's been reading childbirth was gross and messy, so Loki wanted to be prepaid. He also put a chair for himself next to the bed and one for Mystique at the foot of the bed; she was going to act as Mid-Wife and delivery their baby.
After Loki got done getting the room ready, he and Saphira went to hang out with the others and try to go about their day as usual. Still, between Saphira having a contraction every once in a while and her body becoming even hotter, along with her new symptom of a constant need to urinate, Loki had decided best for Saphira to go back to their room, where he used his freeze abilities to make the room nice and cool. And sat in it with her, passing the time reading and doing magic tricks, Mystique checked on them every other hour, and the others came in and sat and chatted sometimes but had not been able to stay for long without needing a jacket put on. The day passed slowly to them, with Saphira's contractions getting closer the farther in the day they got, by nighttime, the baby had not arrived; Mystique went to bed after checking Saphira one last time and told Loki to come to get her if they needed her. The following day went pretty much the same way, with the contractions becoming more prolonged, more painful, and even closer together, but again the baby had not been ready to come into the world that day either.
It was not until the following evening that the baby finally decided he was ready to meet his family; it still took a few hours of Saphira cussing and pushing before he was born, Loki sat in the chair by the bed and was great through it all, keeping her hair out of her face, kissed her hand, rubbed her back, and kept telling her what a great job she was doing. Even though Saphira was now covered in sweat and screaming out the most colorful language he ever heard her use, Loki has never seen her look more beautiful than she did now, giving life to their child.
"Loki," Saphira cried through clenched teeth during an excruciating contraction.
"Yes, darling," Loki asked, pushing her hair out of her face for the hundredth time.
"If you ever want a second child," Saphira replied, stopped to push, then took a breath before finishing. "You can have the baby yourself."
"Alright, if that is what you wish." Loki smiled in amusement. "My female form will be able to, just one problem."
"What?" Saphira snapped, probably a little more hateful than she meant to.
"How would you get her pregnant?" Loki joked. "We may be Gods, but as far as I know, we still need a male and female to reproduce."
Saphira groaned, grabbed the pillow next to her, and smacked Loki in the face with it, a bit harder than she meant to, for she knocked Loki out of his chair and onto the floor. Mystique started laughing at him, followed by Saphira, then Loki, himself joined in.
"I probably deserved that," Loki said, getting back in his chair; he gave Saphira a wink, she smiled at him, taking his hand back.
After Fifty-four hours of excruciating labor, little Fenrir Remy Darkhomle-Lokison was born on September 12th, 2014, at 8:35 pm; he was a healthy, beautiful baby with blue-grey eyes and ahead full of black curls. His names choose carefully by his parents, Fenrir, because Loki had loved the name and because he needed one of his own so that he could grow up feeling like his own person, and not like Fenrir had to live up to a name, Remy because he had been such a good friend to them both, and stood by Saphira even when she tried to take over his planet. Darkholme was to honor Mystique for helping with the delivery and bringing their family together and Loki's way of saying he forgave her; after all, if she had not abandoned him, then he would never have been made a God, had Frigga as an adopted Mother, have Thor as a brother, and may never have met Saphira, in a way Mystique made it all happen; given him the second last name of Lokison was due to Asgardain tradition of giving baby their father's first names for last names and people would know who Fenrir's father was. However, he'll primarily go by Fenrir Lokison; the people who mattered knew they were honored.
Moment Fenrir came into the world; his mother laid back, trying to catch her breath, her body both sore and exhausted. Loki leaned forward in the chair closer to her; he kissed her forehead.
"You did beautifully, darling," Loki told her; "I'm proud of you." Saphira smiled up at him.
"I want to see our baby," Saphira said.
"Do you not wish to clean up first?" Loki asked; Saphira shook her head.
"I want to hold him for a moment, first," Saphira said, just as Fenrir began to cry, causing Saphira to set up fast. "He's crying. Why is he crying?"
"That's what babies do." Mystique replied as she wrapped a towel around Fenrir after cleaning him off best she could for now and walked him over to his parents; Saphira let go of Loki's hand and reached for him; Mystique carefully laid Fenrir in his mother's arms for the first time.
"Loki, look at him; he's perfect," Saphira said; Loki smiled as he looked down at his son; he was perfect. "He looks like you already, except for the nose; he has my nose; I guess eyes could be mine sort of; color is off, though."
"His eyes look like a wolf's eyes. " Loki replied.
"You're right," Saphira said, smiling down at Fenrir. "Aww, he stopped crying; he loves me already."
"May I hold him, love?" Loki asked.
"Of course," Saphira answered; Loki reached out, and Saphira laid Fenrir in his arms, "Careful of his head and neck, yeah, that's it hold him like that."
Loki sat back in his chair and looked down at his son and already loved him more than anything, and he would protect him from anything and everything; as he held him, Fenrir started to cry, and Loki gently rocked him.
"Shh, Little One, daddy has you," Loki told him, "I'll never hurt you, I will protect you, that's a promise." Saphira reached over and squeezed Loki's knee; he looked up to see her smiling at him, with tears falling down her face. "Thank you, darling."
"For what?" Saphira asked, rubbing his leg.
"For Fenrir, for giving me the best gift you can give me," Loki replied, "For being willing to go through all that pain, to give us our son."
"Okay, getting too emotional in here," Mystique announced; Loki looked up and could swear she had watery eyes, just like when they mentioned adding Darkholme to Fenrir's name. "Saphira, you have warm bath water waiting on you; Loki can help you to the bathroom so you can clean up while I dress Fenrir; Loki can change the bed covers while you have a bath. If you're up to it, we can let everyone in to meet Fenrir; then, you need rest."
"Loki and Fenrir are staying in here with me while I rest," Saphira said as Loki handed Fenrir to Mystique.
"Of course, darling," Loki said, helping her to stand; he then helped her to the bathroom, where he held her steady while she took off the night grown, then helped her into the bathtub; Loki walked back into the bedroom, got the pajamas he got out for her and her underwear, walked back into the bathroom laid them down for her, got her out everything else she would need, then walked over kissed Saphira before leaving the bedroom and taking off the old bed covers, then protective covering, carefully, put them in a garbage bag, then sat it outside their room to do away with later. When he went back into the bathroom to wash his hands, Saphira already wanted to get out, eager to get back to Fenrir, so Loki helped her out of the tub, helped her to get dressed, then walked her back into the bedroom and helped her back in the now clean bed, where she sat probed up on pillows again.
Mystique handed Saphira Fenrir, who she had given a sponge bath, dressed him in green footy pajamas, and put the beany she made him on his head; Saphira couldn't help but laugh at how adorable Fenrir looked in it.
"I'll tell the others they can meet the baby now." Mystique said; Saphira had Loki get out his phone so that they could video call Enid and Thor; they were unable to hold their nephew, so, to make it up to them, they'll let them see him before the others.
"Brother!" Thor yelled after answering, "This is a surprise you've never video called before." Fenrir, frightened by Thor's yelling, started to cry.
"Thor, you idiot, you made Fenrir cry." Loki snapped, turning to his son in Saphira's arms; she had already gotten him to calm down by gently rocking him.
"Oops, sorry," Thor said, now speaking quietly. "Whose Fenrir?"
"Is Enid with you?" Saphira asked, grinning.
"Yes, " Enid's voice said; she moved closer to Thor so they could see her, "Is Fenrir who I think he is?"
"Yep," Saphira said and held Fenrir up a little as Loki lowered the phone.
"You had the baby?" Thor yelled, excitedly making Fenrir cry again.
"Brother, I swear, if you do not stop yelling, I'm going to come down there and stick a knife in your ribcage." Loki threatened.
"Sorry," Thor answered.
"Congratulations, Sister, he's a beautiful baby," Enid said.
"He looks like Loki." Thor put in.
"Look at his hair," Saphira said, pulling off his beany to show Enid Fenrir's curls. Loki smiled; he had never seen his wife look as happy as she did now; he took back his thought from earlier because right now, looking happy made Saphira look more beautiful than he's ever seen her.
"His curls are adorable," Enid said, "How do you feel, sister? Any complications?"
"No, no problems, unless you count being in labor for two days in half," Saphira replied, "fifty-four hours of pain and misery."
"Ouch." Enid winched in sympathy. "How do you feel now?"
"I'm fine," Saphira assured her older sister. "A bit sore and tired."
"I bet," Enid replied.
They spoke a few more minutes with Thor and Enid, made plans to call back in a few days to make arrangements to meet up with them in a couple of weeks so they could meet their nephew in person; Loki asked Thor to let Frigga know of Fenrir's birth, and Saphira said she would text them a picture later that Thor could show her. Their call ended just as the door opened, and the other members of their family walked in.
"I get to hold him first," Rogue announced; Loki took Fenrir from Saphira and stood, putting the baby in Rogue's arms.
"Careful how you hold him," Loki told her, "There you got it."
"He's adorable," Rogue said.
"He is, isn't he?" Saphira said; Loki glanced over at her.
"He is our son; of course, he is," Loki replied; Rogue rolled her eyes.
"You two are the most conceited couple I have ever met," Rogue laughed. "What's this little guy's name?"
"Fenrir," Loki answered.
"I like it," Kurt replied.
"Loki picked it," Saphira announced, "His full name is Fenrir Remy Darkholme-Lokison."
"Did you say, Remy?" Remy demanded; Saphira smiled and reached her hand to him; Remy took it, and Saphira pulled him down on the bed next to her.
"Yes, I said, Remy, " Saphira replied, "You mean a lot to us, all you guys do, but you have been such a good friend to me; I wanted to honor that friendship."
Remy kissed Saphira's cheek, then winked at her and stood; then suddenly jumped onto Loki's back, nearly knocking him down hugging him.
"What is the name of all that is Asgardain are you doing?" Loki demanded.
"Hugging my second favorite, brother-in-law," Remy replied. "I knew you would like Remy by the end of our quest."
"I do not." Loki denied it, pulling away from Remy. "You have completely lost your mind."
"Remy isn't too sure he had much of a mind, to begin with," Remy replied, throwing his arm around Loki's shoulder. Loki glared at him, then started laughing as he once again pulled away from Remy.
"That I can agree with," Loki told him, patting his shoulder; Remy smacked at Loki's hand then turned to Rogue.
"Alright, Cherie, you've hogged our nephew enough; hand him over," Remy said; Rogue gently handed Fenrir to Remy.
"Careful," Loki said, rushing forward and holding out his arms as if he thought Remy was going to drop him, "His head."
"Remy knows how to hold a baby, mon ami," Remy told him, "I've held my brother's kids when they were babies."
"Loki isn't your brother," Mystique spoke up, "He's not dumb enough to fully trust you holding his kid. He wants him back in one piece."
"I assure you, Mystique, every baby I have held I gave back to their parents in one piece," Remy said.
"Good, " Loki replied, "He better too."
"You owe me twenty bucks, Gambit." Kurt snorted. "I told you Loki would be one of those overprotective fathers."
"I am not; I want my son to stay healthy and happy. Thank you." Loki said.
"Sure," Remy said; he turned and offered Kurt to hold the baby; he hesitated a moment, then took him. Loki did the same to him as he did to Remy when he was sure Kurt had a good hold on him; Loki stepped back a little. Kurt looked down at Fenrir in time to see him turn blue with red eyes.
"He has a jotuun form," Loki said, stepping closer to get a look, "I wonder if this means he can shapeshift." he smiled when Fenrir turned back. "I think I'll have to teach him to control that when he gets older. "
"He's a lovely baby, brother," Kurt said, handing Fenrir back to Loki, "I would caution you about spoiling him, but I believe we'll all probably be doing that."
"I can't wait until he's bigger," Loki said. "I'm going to teach him all my magic; he'll be the most powerful child in the galaxy, I swear it."
"And Uncle Remy can teach him a few of his tricks." Remy put in, "He'll be the most powerful and sneakiest kid in the galaxy."
"Remy, don't turn my son into a criminal before he's even a teenager," Saphira told him.
"Don't worry; I won't let him," Rogue said, "Fenrir will grow up to be a gentleman."
"He's going to be spoiled," Kurt replied.
"No, I'll make sure my grandson isn't a spoiled brat," Mystique announced, putting her hands on her hips.
"Hey, No child of mine is a brat," Saphira replied. "He might end up a little spoiled, but if he acts up when he's older, he'll get punishments, Loki and I have no plans in letting him run around wild."
"Yes, that's right, "Loki replied, "Fenrir will be a well-behaved, happy, powerful, and intelligent child."
"Good." Mystique replied, "Now, give him here." She stepped forwards and took Fenrir from Loki. "We'll have to think of something he can call me, grandma, granny or grans is a no, makes me sound old."
"You are old," Kurt replied; they all looked at him in surprise then started laughing.
They all cheated for just a few more minutes, with everyone getting another turn at holding Fenrir. The baby started getting cranky from all the attention, and Saphira began to feel sleepy, so, Mystique chased everyone out of the room, told Loki if they needed anything to get her, then left, closing the door behind her.
Two hours later, Loki stepped out of the shower, dried off, grabbed his bathrobe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, put it on, and walked back into his room to pick out something to wear to bed. Saphira sat in the bed, her top open and was feeding Fenrir; Loki smiled at her when she looked up at him, then went to his cabinet to find himself a pair of pajamas; he had been so focused on getting everything Saphira was going to need ready, he had forgotten to leave out himself some sleep clothes.
When Loki took off his robe to put on his pajama, he smiled to himself; he could feel Saphira's eyes on him, watching, thinking back at something she once said to Loki. He smiled and said.
"That's not very ladylike, sweetheart." Loki slipped his pajama top on and turned to face her, to notice her cheeks red, cute he could still embarrass her. "Not that I blame you; I am rather sexy, am I not?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Saphira denied, "I'm feeding my baby, not even looking your way." Loki chuckled.
"Okay, darling," Loki replied, walking over and getting in bed next to her; he smiled down at Fenrir; Loki is sure he's smiled more today than he ever has.
"He's such a good baby," Saphira said, "I love him more than anything already."
"I feel the same, love," Loki replied; he watched Saphira feed their son, out of curiosity, nothing else, then when he got full, she closed her top, then fastened one of the buttons to keep it in place, then got a small towel out of the baby bag she now had next to her, then laid it across her shoulder and carefully raised Fenrir and laid him on the towel to burp him.
"I'm going to feel sore for days; I think," Saphira said; Loki reached out and laid his hand on her knee.
"It was worth it, love," Loki replied. "And you have me here if you need anything."
"I know," Saphira replied, "I have never felt this happy before; I knew when I had him, got to meet him, I would be, but I never thought I could feel this happy, we're doing it, babe, we're finally doing it."
"Doing what, darling?" Loki asked, rubbing his thumb across her knee.
"Having the life together we've always wanted, us, married with a family," Saphira replied, "We are finally getting to be happy."
"Indeed we are," Loki replied; Saphira looked over at him and smiled as he reached up and wiped her tears off her face.
"Sorry," Saphira said, "Mystique warned I'd probably be feeling emotional for a while; I may have had Fenrir, but my hormones will still be a bit out of wack for a few days."
"Understandable," Loki replied; he grinned at her, then they both leaned in and gave each other a long passionate kiss. "You once again made me the happiest person in the world."
"I love when you say things like that," Saphira said. She leaned back in for another kiss before pulling away.
"I love you, my darling," Loki told her.
"I love you too, handsome," Saphira said, she reached up for another kiss, but Fenrir decided to start crying at that moment. "Looks like someone is jealous the attention is off him."
"Aww, you are not the jealous type, are you, Fenrir?" Loki asked, moving closer, so he could lean in and talk to him.
Saphira reached in the baby bag and got out a pacifier, and gave it to Fenrir. After a moment, he calmed down, then fell asleep; Loki moved over a bit and laid one of their pillows in between them so that Saphira could lay Fenrir on it; he had his crib, but for the night, the couple wanted their baby close to them. Saphira reached out and held Loki's hand, wanting to feel close to him too.
"You're staring at me," Saphira said, laughing a little "What are you thinking about?"
"How beautiful you are," Loki replied, "And how much I love you, our son, and how lucky I'm am."
"I like those thoughts," Saphira replied, yawning, "But your staring is going to have to stop; I'm going to sleep now before Fenrir wakes up."
Saphira moved around a bit until she got comfortable before closing her eyes to go to sleep.
"Turn the light off, please," Saphira asked; Loki waved his hand towards the light switched, and the light turned out. "Thanks, babe."
"You're welcome, love." Loki figured Saphira had a point about trying to get some sleep, so he closed his eyes also; they both soon fell asleep.
On her way to bed, Mystique had opened their door to see if they or the baby needed anything, found them asleep; smiling to herself, Mystique took out her phone and snapped a picture before walking over and carefully picking Fenrir up, doing her best not to wake him or either of his parents and laid him in his crib, that way Loki or Saphira couldn't roll over on him or anything, she went to walk back out of the room, paused, turned around and walked back over to Loki, pushed his hair out of his face, bent down and kissed his forehead.
"I love you, son," Mystique whispered before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door quietly, over on the bed. A now awake Loki smiled to himself.
"I love you too, Mum," Loki whispered.
AN Sorry if it, especially the ending, was a little too mushy; I wanted them to have some happy moments because, over the following few chapters, things will slowly start turning dark, Enid and Thor will have their happy day coming up soon, but after things will take a turn, just thought the characters deserved some happiness before the big bad stuff happens.