Chapter 8

Sleipnir woke a number of times over the course of the day, and each time he got stronger and more aware. The first time he woke he was barely conscious for more than a minute. Loki watched as his dark green eyes opened and searched him out. When Sleipnir's eyes landed on his face he let out a small sigh and curled closer.

"Mama," the child breathed and Loki pressed a kiss into the hair at the top of his head. "I had a bad dream." he muttered sleepily.

"Did you now? What did you dream?"

Sleipnir's face made a small frown as he struggled to remember. "I don't know." he admitted as his eyelids drooped.

Loki ran a soothing hand down the child's back and smiled encouragingly. "Go back to sleep, and no more nightmares."

Sleipnir murmured something else but it was too quiet to hear. Soon enough he was breathing evenly again.

The next time he woke, Loki had been dozing lightly. He glanced down and noticed that Sleipnir's eyes were wide open and looking about the room curiously.

"Where are we?" he asked when he noticed Loki watching him.

"We are on Midgard." he answered and smiled when Sleipnir's eyes widened comically.

"Why are we on Midgard?"

Loki searched his sons face, but Sleipnir's expression was simply curious. "What is the last thing you remember? Where were you before you went to sleep?" he questioned softly.

The boys brow furrowed as he thought, and Loki wondered if he remembered the stable or Thor's attempts to take off his bridle. "We were on Vaniheim, and you said we could go to the valley today so I could learn some more magic." he answered and then looked to him with a worried expression. "Have I fallen sick?"

"Why would you ask that? You're not ill at all!". Loki assured him, his mind whirling at the revelation that Sleipnir didn't remember being a horse. They had been on Vaniheim when Odin had found them.

"I'm so tired, I feel like I've slept for days and days." he rubbed at his eyes, as if he could rub away the exhaustion.

"You slept for more than that, you have slept for years." Loki said softly.

Sleipnir was looking at him with wide eyes again. "I did?"

"I'm afraid so," Loki said gravely. "A man put a spell on you that made you sleep for centuries. No harm came to you, and as you can see you didn't age, but no one could wake you."

"Not even you?"

Loki recalled all the times in the stables, armed with charmed daggers and spells, trying fruitlessly to remove the seal. All the while being watched by his son's sad dark eyes. "No, I tried very hard but not even I could undo the spell."

"How did I wake up then?" Sleipnir asked, waiting eagerly for the end of the story.

"A man with a giant hammer came by, he found a way to wake you."

"How? Was he magic as well?"

"No, he used his hammer. He knocked you right out of bed with it and you woke up."

Sleipnir let out a laugh and Loki just relished in the sound of it. "He did not!"

"He did," Loki insisted with his own smile. "He told me when he brought you here. He didn't know why you were sleeping though, he only knocked you out of bed because your snoring was so loud it was keeping everyone else awake."

Sleipnir laughed again, "No! I wasn't snoring!"

"How would you know? You were asleep.," he reasoned and the boy just grinned at him.

"Is that story true?"

"Some of it." Loki responded honestly and Sleipnir's smile turned into a wide yawn. "That's enough questions for now, you should sleep."

"But I slept for so long already." Sleipnir murmured even as he snuggled into the blankets.

"It won't be for as long this time, I promise to wake you if you sleep for more than a year." he teased as he watched Sleipnir make himself comfortable but resolutely kept his eyes open.

"Can't you tell me another story?"

"Of course, how about another one about the man with the hammer? There was a time he lost his hammer and had to wear a clever disguise to get it back."

The child nodded weakly before resting his head on his chest, and Loki placed a hand over his hair before beginning the tale. Sleipnir was fast asleep within minutes.

()()()()

Loki woke aware that there was a weight missing from his chest. He realized Sleipnir was sitting up in bed next to him as he felt the mattress shift.

"Who are you?" he heard the boy ask and his eyes flew open in surprise.

"My name is Bruce," the Avenger was saying from his position from the open door. "I'm kinda a friend of your... Mom." he glanced over and met Loki's eyes with a weak smile before looking back at the curious child. "What's your name?"

"Sleipnir." The boy answered promptly and Banner favored him with a warm smile.

"Well it's nice to meet you Sleipnir. I've heard a lot about you. Actually I brought you something."

Sleipnir suddenly sat up straighter. "A present?" he asked eagerly.

"Uh huh," Bruce said and came into the room with one of his hands carrying something behind his back. He brought the item into view and placed the large blue bucket on the bed in front of Sleipnir. The thing was sealed by a plastic lid and rattled when it was tipped slightly as Sleipnir inspected it.

"Here," the scientist offered and turned the lid a fraction before pulling it off, revealing the multi coloured blocks inside. "I doubt you've ever seen these things before but here on earth most little boys have at least a tub of Lego."

Sleipnir pulled out a handful of the plastic blocks and studied them closely. "What are they for?"

Bruce patiently took a handful of his own and instructed the child on how the pieces fit together to build shapes while Loki watched on silently. Sleipnir caught onto the concept quickly and soon enough the bucket was turned over and the blanket was covered with piles of Lego as he began building a boat.

"He looks like he's doing pretty well." Banner said once Sleipnir was distracted and Loki met the mans eyes easily. "You can probably take him up to your rooms whenever you want to. I think someone was put in charge of stocking up your fridge so there should be something for him to eat." He paused before gently saying in a quiet voice, "Fury gave the official order an hour ago, no one is to bother you for a couple of days. We figure you'll want some time, so you don't have to worry about Tony or anyone banging down your door."

Loki felt both surprise and a large amount of gratitude towards the Shield director. It was one thing to extend their protection to cover his rescued son, but this show of compassion left him stunned.

"You will pass on my thanks?" he asked of Bruce who nodded.

"No problem. Anyways I'll leave you to it, it was really nice to meet you Sleipnir!"

Sleipnir looked up from the half constructed hull in his hands to smile brilliantly at the scientist. "Goodbye! Thank you very much for the gift!"

"You're very welcome. Bye Loki," Bruce turned with a wave and closed the door behind him. Loki watched as Sleipnir continued with his boat, helping him find certain colours or sizes when asked. Soon enough a crude multi coloured miniature replica of an Elven war ship was held up proudly and Loki had to applaud the idea of the gift.

"How do you feel?" he asked as Sleipnir started sorting through the remaining pieces. He'd been watching for any lingering exhaustion but so far the boy seemed well rested at last.

"Much better, I don't feel tired at all." he said earnestly, as if afraid that he wouldn't be believed and be forced to sleep some more.

"Very good, if you are recovered we can leave this place. I can show you where we are going to live for now."

Sleipnir looked around the small area, which he knew must look like a good enough room. "We don't live here?"

"We live in this building, but no, not in these rooms. These are their healing rooms. Only meant to hold the sick or injured and since you and I are neither of those things, we ought not to linger."

"Oh, can I bring my Lego with me?" he asked with a concerned look towards his toys.

"Of course, make sure you get them all out of the sheets though." he reminded as Sleipnir began collecting all of the small bits of Lego and placing them back into the bucket. The boat just barely fit and the lid was placed on securely. Smoothing out his sleep rumbled clothes was a useless effort so Loki just pulled on his shoes and turned to see Sleipnir sitting on the edge of the bed looking up at him expectantly, his bucket beside him. Loki hadn't missed the fact that his son was dressed in Asgardian clothes. He had studied them closely earlier and knew that they were fine garments. Fit for a young prince, and Loki knew that Thor hadn't been the one to dress him. And though he hadn't mentioned her in his tale, Loki knew that his mother had seen to her grandson. The only thing he was missing though was shoes.

He stared down at Sleipnir's bare feet as they swung in the air. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to carry you." Loki said and watched as the smile slid off his sons face.

"I can walk! I'm not a baby!" he protested.

"Not without shoes you can't."

Sleipnir looked down at his bare toes then back at him. "Can't you make me some?" he asked.

It was a fair question. As far as Sleipnir remembered, whenever they lacked something, Loki would produce it by way of his magic. Unfortunately such a thing was impossible now. "I can't I'm afraid, my magic is gone for a while. So we will have to endure without for the time being. Which includes letting me carry you without a fuss. Yes?"

Sleipnir sighed as though he were greatly put upon and dramatically held out his arms. It was an easy thing, picking him up, feeling his legs wrap securely around his waist and his arms loop around his neck. Apparently some things the body did not forget, no matter how much time had passed and he shifted their weight until they were both balanced.

Not forgetting the bucket, Loki gave his son a reassuring smile and stepped out of the room.

The rest of the medical center was dark and silent, with only a few lights lit to show the way. He had no way to determine the time but by the lack of people they ran into he was guessing it was quite late. Sleipnir was instantly interested with the elevator, and asked several questions on how it worked. Loki found that he could only give him a basic explanation of the pullies and weights that moved the machine, but drew a blank when asked how the elevator knew when to stop. How do you explain to a child who didn't even know what electricity was, how a computer program works?

"Why is your magic gone?" Sleipnir asked suddenly once they had reached their floor.

"It is not gone exactly," he answered carefully. "It is more that it is being used for something else."

"What are you using it for? Are you building something?"

Loki couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Not exactly."

"Is it a secret?" he asked next, and there was no reproach in his voice at all.

"It is not a secret Sleipnir, it is simply part of a long story. I promise I will tell you all about it soon, just not tonight."

"Alright." he said simply, and that was that. Loki shook his head in amazement. If Odin had told him that, he would have obsessed over discovering the secret that was being kept from him. Sleipnir just accepted that he would be told eventually and let it go.

They approached the door to his rooms and Loki pushed the door open into darkness. He had to put down the bucket of Lego so that he could blindly feel for the light switch. It was funny how the little things made him miss his magic all the more. Once the switch was found and the main room was bathed in artificial light he let Sleipnir slide to the floor and shut the door, locking it for good measure. He turned back to see Sleipnir looking around curiously.

"Are you hungry?" he asked him and Sleipnir nodded so Loki held out his hand for him to take and lead him into the kitchen. A bowl of fruit sat on the counter, and a little rummaging through the drawers found him a knife. With their easy meal procured, Loki led them towards the sofa, pointing at certain objects and explaining what they were. The television was left out of his small tour, he knew eventually Sleipnir would figure out what it did, but until that time Loki was going to enjoy the quiet while it lasted.

The sofa was already occupied it would seem; a small collection of bags had taken up residence while he was gone. A careful inspection revealed them to filled with clothes, all in Sleipnir's size and height, including a pair of shoes. There weren't that many clothes, just a small selection, and another catalogue filled with children's clothes, toys and books. He moved the bags aside, making note that he would have to go through the catalogue soon with Sleipnir. Once the sofa was cleared he sat down and began peeling a pear, letting the skin fall into a bowl in his lap. Sleipnir climbed up to sit next to him and accepted the pieces of fruit as they were offered. Once the pear was gone, a peach followed it, and then an orange. The apples were ignored entirely.

He was considering the banana next when Sleipnir began to move around and when he glanced down next to him, the boy was on his knees looking over the back of the sofa and out the dark window. "We must be very high up! The stars are on the ground! Look!"

Loki looked at where he was pointing and laughed quietly. "Those aren't stars Sleipnir. They are just lights. The stars are still in the sky, you just can't see them right now."

"But what are the lights for then?"

"Most of them are where someone is living."

Sleipnir's eyes grew wide, "But there are so many!"

"Yes, you have never been to a city before, but this is one of the larger ones on Midgard." he watched as Sleipnir continued to stare out at the city lights.

"Are you still hungry?" he asked and the boy shook his head. "Tired?"

"No."

Loki nodded and stood up to put the bowl of fruit peels away before sitting back down and pulling the catalogue closer with a pen he had found in one of the drawers in the kitchen. "What is that?" Sleipnir asked when he began to look through it, and leaned on his arm to peer at the images.

"It is something to help me acquire items I can no longer make with magic. If I want something, I simply make a mark next to it and it will be brought to us. Like so." He demonstrated by circling a number of books for children.

"Who brings them?"

"Servants who work here I suppose." he said, knowing that people like Miss Potts would balk at the use of the term servant.

"Are we in a palace?" Sleipnir asked after some thought.

"It's actually more of a fortress. The strongest warriors of Midgard live here. The man who gave you your present is one of them."

"Bruce is a warrior? He doesn't look like one!"

Loki just smiled. "You'll find that in regards to Bruce Banner, looks can be very deceiving."

Sleipnir seemed to consider that before becoming distracted by an item in the book. "Look, that's what I have!" Loki looked at what he was pointing and saw it was more Lego.

"Indeed, would you like some more?"

"Can I?"

"I don't see a reason why not." he said as he circled the item on the page. He eventually moved on to clothes and Sleipnir grew bored beside him. Rather than watch Loki, he slid off the couch and went to retrieve the bucket of Lego from where it had been left by the door.

Loki looked up briefly to watch as Sleipnir turned the bucket upside down, spilling it's contents over the carpet and began constructing something new. An excellent gift indeed. With his son happily occupied Loki went through the entirety of the catalogue, ordering more clothes in an array of colours. Just because he preferred green did not mean he was going to make his son a clone. He also took the time to place the items that had already been delivered into the bottom two drawers in his room. He then went back to the book to see if there was any furniture in it. He circled a small set of drawers but ignored the beds. He wasn't planning on letting Sleipnir out of his sight if he could help it, and his own double bed would be large enough for the both of them.

With nothing left to do Loki was forced to admit that he was quite tired and he had noticed Sleipnir struggling to hide a few yawns. Leaving the door to his room open so that he could hear the sounds of Lego being fit together, he quickly changed out of his stale clothes and traded them for some more comfortable sleepwear. Sleipnir looked up when he reappeared and took in his appearance, which consisted of dark flannel pants and a soft green shirt.

"Your clothes are strange." he said quite bluntly.

"Thank you, you have a set just like them and it is time to put them on."

Sleipnir put down the Lego he held in his hand, the beginnings of a construction Loki couldn't guess what of, and followed him back into his room. He allowed himself to be helped into the soft garments and grinned as he ran his fingers over the material. "Why did we have to change our clothes?"

"These ones were made specifically for sleeping, which it is now time to do. It is quite late."

"But I've already slept so much today."

"Yes, but that does not alter the fact that it is time for bed." he said patiently and Sleipnir just sighed and clambered into Loki's bed without further complaint. Loki followed after turning off all the lights and slid under the covers, sighing in contentment when Sleipnir scooted up to his side. He couldn't stop himself from curling his arms around the smaller body, securing him in a tight embrace.

He had wanted to hold his son like this for hundreds and hundreds of years, and he'd thought he'd never do so again. By all rights once Odins spell had been removed Sleipnir should have transformed into the grown man he would have been by now. But for once Loki didn't care about the how or the why. He just held on to the gift he'd been given.

Sleipnir remained quiet for a long time, not pulling away. "I slept for a really long time, didn't I?" he asked quietly and Loki couldn't lie to his son.

"Yes, you did."

Small fingers played with the fabric of his bedclothes and Loki ran a soothing hand over Sleipnirs back. "You couldn't wake me up?" he asked, remembering the story he'd been told earlier.

"I tried very hard, I did everything I could, but I couldn't wake you. I'm so so sorry Sleipnir."

"How long did I sleep for?"

Loki sighed. "Hundreds of years. Too long."

"Did you miss me?"

Loki gripped the small body even closer, "Sleipnir, I have missed you more than you could ever possibly understand. And you are going to suffer for it I'm afraid because I am never letting you out of my sight again."

Sleipnir hummed as the breath was temporarily squeezed out of him and hugged back as much as he could. "I missed you too. Even if I can't remember sleeping." he added as an afterthought.

Loki gave one last squeeze before loosening his hold. Sleipnir stayed mostly in his arms, his breathing evening out as he eventually fell into slumber. Loki stayed awake though, just listening to his breathing as he formed plans in his mind. Plans that he would ultimately need Thors help with, and Thor would help him with this. Even if he had to drag him about by his hair. Because if Mjolnir could break the seal holding Sleipnir in his form, then it could do the same to another. It was just a matter of locating the others. Because now he knew it could be done, and there wasn't a force in all the universe that was going to stop him. He would have his children back.

Notes:

Long chapter is LONG! Also, I would just like to clarify that when I'm writing this story, and I'm picturing Bruce in my head? It's Edward Nortan. Because in my mind, he is totally Bruce Banner. I don't care who says what about that movie, he made a fantastic portrayal of Bruce Banner.

So now you've all met Sleipnir! What do you think? I told you there would be fluff!