But perfection was a fickle thing, and often not long in lasting.
After being alerted by Heimdall that his daughter had, in fact, been exposed to her housemates as being Loki, Odin had been content to just sit by and wait for the young woman to be killed by one or another of earth's mightiest heroes. It never happened. As time wore on, none of them killed Lucy Saint, and after Lucy had spent half a year on Midgard, the All-Father grew impatient. It appeared he would have to go to Midgard himself and pose an ultimatum for his adopted child.
Even after four months of the Avengers knowing who she was, Lucy was still daily surprised by how well they treated her. Maybe it was the fact that she was very obviously with child by now, maybe it wasn't. Whatever the reason they were being so… normal… about it all, she loved them for it. They hadn't really changed the way they treated her at all – except for Captain Rogers; once she began to show her condition he'd done the impossible and become even more of a gentleman towards her. Sure, Agent Romanoff glanced at her askance every now and again, but had the roles been reversed, Lucy knew she would've been doing the same thing.
These were the thoughts that were rolling through her head when the Avengers plus Lucy and Pepper were once again watching a movie in Tony Stark's entertainment room of an evening. Those were the thoughts – thoughts of how much she liked it here – that were rolling through her head when a grungy old stranger suddenly slipped into the room.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Tony Stark asked with raised eyebrows, pausing the movie when everyone turned to their sudden visitor.
"I'm a friend of Thor and Lucy's," the old man said, his gaze coming to rest on her. "I've come to take them home."
Thor's eyes blew wide as he recognized who he was seeing. Mjolnir came flying into the room to rest in his hands as the god of thunder asked, "Does Asgard have need of us?"
"No," the man – Odin underneath a shape shifter's spell – said evenly, turning to his son. "I only come to tell you that it is time for one of you to come home – now or never again."
Thor paled as he realized that Odin was not here for him in the least nor even speaking to him, and he sat Mjolnir heavily back down on the floor as Lucy asked icily, "Why?"
"Why what?" Odin asked, turning to her.
"Why is it time to come home now and why 'now or never again'?"
"Because I will not have Asgard shamed this way a second time," Odin answered, his eyes suddenly flashing fire. "I have waited four months for them to put a knife through your treacherous heart and it has not happened, so I have given up. I have come to allow you to come home, but I haven't the patience to come after you a second time. You come now and I will return you to all of your former glory as the magic-wielding god Loki, or you remain here for the rest of your days in the form of your precious 'Lucy Saint'."
"You do not wish to become a grandfather again," Lucy summed it up coldly, laying one protective hand on her swelled middle and the other on Clint's arm to keep him from moving from her side to go for his bow and arrow. "You offer to allow me to come home now only because if I become Loki once again while I am still carrying my child, said offspring would die and be lost instantly, unable to survive in a masculine body."
"Do you wish to lose all of your abilities with magic forever?" Odin snapped, too focused on her now to notice the way the Avengers were shifting – Natasha going for the gun she kept concealed on her person at all times, Tony calmly pushing the button on his metal bracelets that would bring one of his suits to him, even Thor once again taking Mjolnir in hand as Bruce carefully took his glasses off and placed them on the coffee table since he didn't like for them to be broken when the "other guy" took over him.
Lucy sized Odin up before answering calmly, "I would rather lose my powers a thousand times over than lose the child that rests inside me, the man at my side, or the friends of mine that surround us. So, thank you so very much for your show of concern in coming to check on me – it is so very touching – but you may now leave. Do so immediately and you might even escape without harm coming to you."
Odin growled as he looked around the room and realized that they were indeed literally surrounded by Lucy's friends. The All-Father could've taken them more than likely – except for the fact that the Hulk might eventually just beat him to death – but he didn't seem in a mood to try. Lucy was no fool; Odin might have called her his loved child before he sent her to Midgard, but he simply did not careenough to try and take her back with him if she didn't come easily. With her here in female form on Midgard – with a five thousand year lifespan no longer hers to lay claim to – she was as good as dead to him, and that truly was all that he wanted where she was concerned.
"Very well," Odin replied. "I will not see you again then, Lucy Saint."
Lucy smirked, saying, "Splendid. Would you be so kind as to give Mother my regards and tell her that I have never been happier?"
Odin screamed for Heimdall then and went away in the midst of a streak of light and curses. He wouldn't be relaying any messages to Frigga, Lucy knew, but then, it was Odin, so what else was she supposed to expect from him?
"So… what's that mean?" Clint asked her, relaxing slowly as she curled into his arms. "Are you ours now?"
"No," Lucy answered with a smile. "I am yours."