Loki sat on the bed, his sleeping daughter in his arms and his betrothed lying beside him. He couldn't get over how amazing Astrid was. He'd seen plenty of babies before, but none of them had been his. It was something infinitely different. Ten fingers were suddenly extraordinary; ten toes were breathtaking; two eyes a near miracle. Those miraculous eyes were a foggy grayish-blue that Loki already knew would turn into his own bright green. The fine down of hair covering her little head was dark and he already knew it would grow into Darcy's rich chestnut waves. With a bit of concentration (and a touch of magic), Loki could already see the beautiful woman that the beautiful baby would become. He wondered if he should share the image with Darcy or allow her the gift of discovering it for herself with the passage of time.

"Loki?"

At the sound of her voice, he turned to look at his lover. Her eyes were still unfocused as she struggled to find her way back to consciousness.

"I am here, my love. You are alright now."

Blinking rapidly, Darcy's voice turned frantic, "The baby? Where's the baby?"

"Right here," Loki soothed. He stood up, leaning down so that Darcy could see the bundle in his arms.

Darcy's eyes widened as she caught her first glimpse of a little hand. She tried to sit up, but Loki stopped her by leaning further, "No, remain still. There is someone who is quite anxious to see what you look like from the outside. Here my love, meet your daughter."

As he placed the child in Darcy's arms, he smiled at the look on his lover's face. Awe, disbelief, joy, contentment, relief, fear, love – everything he felt within his own heart was being played out on Darcy's expressive countenance.

Her voice was breathless, "Oh. Oh wow. Hi there, baby. Are you the one who's been giving me so much trouble? You're such a little thing. You're so…so beautiful. I knew you would be, but still." She took a deep breath. "Hi, Astrid. I'm your mom." Her voice broke on the last word as tears started leaking from the corners of her eyes.

Loki smiled gently, "You did so well, my love. She is perfection."

Darcy let out a little laughing sob, "Yeah, she is. I can't believe we made something so perfect." She looked up at Loki like he too was something divine, "We did this."

Loki smiled, watching as a tear dripped from her lashes, down her cheek and slid into the corner of her lips. His thumb followed the path, wiping away the salty trail. Darcy smiled unsteadily and went back to examining the baby.

Loki's words were like a vow, "I have made many mistakes in my life. I have erred countless times. But this?" He gestured to the girl in her arms, "This is my redemption. I have never done anything so right and good in all my days. She is a wonder."

Darcy nodded in agreement and placed a gentle kiss on the top of the little head. At the contact, the child squirmed slightly and then let out a loud cry. He smiled at Darcy's frown and announced, "She is hungry. Eir said you should put Astrid to breast as soon as you awaken. Shall I fetch her to assist?"

Darcy looked up startled, "Oh right! I knew that. No, it's okay. I can do this." Darcy shifted the baby, trying not to jostle her too much. She looked up at Loki to ask for help, but he was already reaching out to her shoulder. The straps of her nightgown disappeared and he pulled the fabric down to expose her chest. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Darcy brought the baby's mouth to her breast and tried to coax her into latching on like she'd read – the steps cycling through her mind like flash cards: bottom lip to chin, mouth opens, bring baby to breast (not the other way around), as much as possible in the mouth, and so on. Darcy knew that it often took several tries and so was prepared to be patient and persistent. But Astrid never did anything according to plan and so Darcy shouldn't have been surprised when the little mouth opened up and latched on straightaway.

Oh.

Darcy tried not to cry, but this was her daughter. She was feeding her from her body. She was someone's mom. She took a shaky breath and tried to collect herself. Darcy had loved her daughter before she was born, but now? Holding her in her arms? She felt complete.

The tugging on her nipple was as unusual a sensation as she'd expected. It also hurt a bit, but she was pretty sure she'd done it right. And after the nightmare of a birth, this minor pain seemed pretty relative. Still, Darcy watched carefully to make sure everything seemed okay. It did. Again, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

Darcy spoke to Loki without looking up, "She's a genius. But I guess that was going to be a given with you for a father. I didn't know I could ever be this happy. Thank you, Loki. I just…thank you. I love you. God, I love you both so much."

Those words eased the ache from wounds Loki had never even realized he sustained. As he watched the woman he loved hold his daughter to her breast, he was flooded by an unfamiliar emotion: contentment. True contentment.

Every bit of pain and regret and humiliation he had suffered in his long life had been worth it if it had led him here. To this perfect moment. To his family.

After the baby had been fed, Loki eased the door open to find eight anxious faces waiting in the hallway.

Frigga spoke first, "Are they alright? Do I need to fetch Eir again?" Loki assumed the Goddess of Healing was busy making sure the mortal doctor regained proper use of all of his fingers. Thawing flesh is a delicate process.

"No, Mother. They are both fine. And if you can control yourselves, you may come in now. There is someone I would like for you to meet."

Frigga reached out a hand to Loki and he grabbed it gently, tucking it in the crook of his elbow. The two of them led the way into the room, Thor and Jane following on their heels, Sif and the Warriors Three trailing behind more hesitantly. No one noticed as Odin fell back and lingered in the doorway.

Darcy was still pale and drawn, but her smile glowed as she gazed intently at the sleeping form cradled in her arms. Frigga started crying almost immediately, but like a sunshower, she smiled through her tears. Even Sif's eyes were suspiciously misty. That was certainly unexpected.

Frigga's voice was a broken sigh, "Oh, Loki – she is so beautiful."

Darcy looked up at the guests and encompassed everyone in her smile. Then her eyes found Loki's and entire volumes seemed to pass between them.

Frigga spoke again, "May I hold her, Darcy?"

Darcy bit her lip as if reluctant to part with her precious bundle before nodding with a small smile. Frigga stepped closer and eased down to sit beside her on the bed. She lifted the child from Darcy's arms with the effortlessness of an experienced mother. The child shifted but didn't awaken. Frigga looked from the girl in her arms to the man standing beside her, "What have you named her, my son?"

Loki smiled, "Astrid."

Frigga's smile widened and she looked back down, "Hello, Astrid. You are as beautiful as your name implies. Even more so, I believe."

A deep voice came from behind Loki, "Astrid Thora, right?"

Loki shook his head in exasperation, "Yes, brother. Though you owe me for that one. Do not forget." He smirked a bit at Jane, who looked up at Thor with confused eyes. Thor pointedly ignored her gaze.

Fandral was suddenly standing at Loki's side, giving him a hearty slap on the back, "Congratulations, Loki. Allfather help us, you are a father now. The worlds tremble." At Loki's raised brow, Sif stepped forward and dragged Fandral back a few feet, giving the swordsman a stern look. His face turned immediately repentant under her glare.

After a few minutes of grandmotherly bonding, Loki stepped forward and kissed Frigga on the cheek as he took his daughter back into his arms. Frigga reached back and placed her hand in Darcy's, smiling at the girl who had brought her granddaughter into existence. Astrid in his arms, Loki slowly spun around to face Thor and Jane.

He smiled, "Come hold your niece, brother."

Thor stepped closer, but didn't reach for the child. Instead he smiled peculiarly, "Remember when we were children and you knocked over that statue of Bestla while we were playing a game? I caught it and I was so pleased with how quick my reflexes had become that I laughed with the statue still in my arms. And it shattered. It shattered because I had held it too tightly. I did not mean to break it, but I simply did not know my own strength."

Bemused, Loki nodded, "Yes, of course. I remember it quite clearly because I took the blame for that. You told Father I was the one who knocked it over."

"Well you were!"

Loki raised a brow, "Yes, but you were the one who broke it. Why are we discussing this?"

Thor looked uneasy as he gestured to Astrid, "She is much more fragile than a statue."

Loki's face lost its annoyance as he locked eyes with his brother. "Thor, you will not hurt her."

"But Loki, I could."

Loki smiled gently, "So could I. But I will not. Nor will you. I trust you, brother. You must simply trust yourself."

After a moment, Thor nodded. Then he reached for the child awkwardly. Loki chuckled before stopping him, "Just position your arms and I shall hand her over." Thor arranged his massive arms into the closest possible approximation of the position Loki's were currently in. Then Loki gently placed the baby in his arms and stepped back to admire the view.

He had to contain a laugh at the sight of huge Thor holding little Astrid. Even Frigga looked like she was holding back a teary giggle. But from the melting look on Jane's face, it was obviously a sight they should all get accustomed to. The pathetic woman was practically swooning.

Loki supposed that some part of him was touched at Thor's concern – at the gentle way his brother was holding his little girl. But he still couldn't contain his mirth when Astrid let out a wail and Thor's face turned ashen.

"Brother! I did something wrong! She is crying. Oh, what did I do? You should not have let me hold her. I broke her!"

With a fond sigh, Loki stepped closer and ran his finger down Astrid's cheek. "You did not break her, Thor. She is a baby. Babies cry. It is their primary means of communication. She is simply trying to convey a message. Right now, I think she is saying that her uncle is a fool." Thor didn't respond to the jibe, simply continuing to look between the crying child and his brother with a helpless expression. With a smile, Loki took Astrid from his brother's arms, and Thor practically sagged with relief. Loki added teasingly, "Besides, had you injured her in some way, she would have left you with a nasty case of frostbite."

Thor looked surprised, "Truly? I did not realize she could do such a thing."

Loki gave him a mocking look, "Ask the poor Midgardian doctor. He almost lost a few fingers. Have you forgotten that she is half-Jötunn, brother?"

Thor gave him a look, "She may be half-Jötunn, but you are entirely irritating."

Loki smiled widely, "Have you been saving that insult up for me since you first learned I was to be a father?"

Thor just shook his head at Loki's teasing.

Jane closed the distance and smiled gently at Loki. She brushed her finger gently across the little hand as the child began to quiet in her father's arms. Her voice was soft, "She really is beautiful, Loki." She looked up suddenly and gave Loki a surprisingly wry smile, "Congratulations, brother."

Loki's eyes widened and he smirked in spite of himself. Jane Foster was growing on him…like a particularly exasperating fungus. Ah well – at least Thor was happy. Loki watched as Jane went over to the bed and leaned down to give Darcy a kiss on the cheek. Sif sidled over to stand beside Frigga and the women proceeded to do the sacred post-baby ritual of giggles and tears and sighs.

Loki looked up and met his father's gaze as the King stood immobile in the doorway like a sentinel. The moment stretched until Odin's face softened and he nodded to his son. The King spoke softly, but Loki heard as if the words were spoken directly into his ear, "I must go deliver the news to the people: a Princess of Asgard has been born today. And her mother has been tested and found worthy. How quickly our family is expanding." A fleeting smile ghosted over the elder man's lips and then he was gone, striding down the hallway with purpose.

As Thor's arm came up to rest on Loki's shoulder, the God of Mischief looked back down at his girl with a smile. He knew that was as close to a blessing as Loki and Darcy would ever get from the Allfather.

It was more than enough.

Darcy was nursing the child again when a knock on the door caught Loki's attention. He eased it open a crack and caught sight of his mother's face. She seemed to be puzzled.

"Is something the matter, Mother?"

A quick smile calmed Loki's nerves, "No, nothing is wrong. But you may want to come out of the room for a moment. There are a few…unexpected guests." With that cryptic message, Frigga turned and walked down the hallway. Loki turned back to look at Darcy but she nodded and shooed him out with a quiet, "Go see what's up."

Distracted, Loki wandered down the hallway in the direction his mother had gone.

"Please tell me everything is okay." Loki's head shot around at the voice of his friend.

It took Loki a moment to register what he was seeing, "Tony?"

"Your mom said it's all good, but I don't trust her. No offense. So is the baby here? Is Darcy okay? Don't keep me in suspense, man!"

Loki blinked at the mortal before slowly answering, "The birth is over and both Darcy and my daughter are fine."

Tony smiled, shoulders sinking, and let out a loud whoop of happiness.

"That's some damn good news! You have no idea how worried I've been. I was biting my nails and pacing. I was about a minute away from pulling my hair out, and you know how tragic that would have been. My hair is magnificent. Now where's my goddaughter?"

Bewildered but amused by this strange turn of events, Loki looked at the figure sheepishly standing beside Tony. Pepper looked equal parts awed by her surroundings and chagrined by Tony's behavior. Her voice was apologetic, "I'm so sorry, Loki. Dr. Finklestein went missing again and we just assumed…you know. And then Tony got the brilliant idea he should come up here to make sure everything was alright. And I don't trust him doing things like this on his own." Tony scoffed, but Pepper ignored him and continued, "We can leave if you'd like. I can imagine that this must be a-" she turned to glare at Tony, "very personal time for your family. And we certainly wouldn't want to intrude."

Apparently Heimdall was getting lax in his gatekeeper duties. Still Loki smiled, deciding he was pleased by the unexpected presence of more people he actually liked. "No, you are not intruding on anything. You are correct that this is a time for family. But I do believe that you both constitute as such. You are Astrid's godparents after all."

Pepper gave a sweet smile at Loki's words, but Tony's eyebrow nearly hit his hairline, "Astrid? Seriously?"

Pepper immediately elbowed him in the solar plexus and he let out a wheezing cough. Loki's voice became deceptively calm, "Do you not like my daughter's name, Mr. Stark?"

Tony blinked, sensing the danger he was in, "Like it? Are you kidding? I love it!"

Loki smirked, "Good."

Pepper shook her head at Tony before smiling again, "Can we see the baby?"

"Darcy is feeding her at the moment."

Tony cocked his head, "Breast feeding?" At Loki's nod, he added under his breath, "Damn, that is one lucky baby."

Loki gave him a warning look, but it was Pepper who elbowed him again. Tony seemed to realize what he'd said and turned to the woman beside him, "I mean…just that…breastfeeding is supposed to be better for the kid. I think I read that somewhere. I wasn't implying that Darcy's breasts are…" He couldn't seem to find the right words, so Pepper supplied, "Any of your business?"

Tony nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Loki shook his head before gesturing for them to follow him, "I shall check on Darcy and my daughter. You may see them as long as she is feeling up to it."

Pepper nodded, "Of course. How is Darcy?"

Loki was silent for a long moment. "It was an exceedingly unpleasant birth. I had to hurt her very badly in order to save our daughter. I know Darcy would be annoyed with me if I apologized, but I still hurt her. It will take her some time to recover from the emotional scarring."

Loki felt Tony's hand on his shoulder and turned to give him a crooked smile, "Are you trying to comfort me again, Tony? I believe the last time you attempted such, you were the one who ended up requiring comfort."

Tony blushed almost imperceptibly before making the universal gesture for 'cut it out,' hand swiping across his throat. Loki chuckled as Pepper asked quizzically, "Why did you need comfort?"

Tony puffed out a breath of air as he shrugged, remaining silent.

Turning the corner, Loki held up his hand as he approached his room, "I shall be right back. Remain here."

As he closed the door behind him, his eyes fastened on the breathtaking sight of the two most important things in his life asleep on the bed. He slid closer quietly and took a moment to enjoy the peace on the faces of his lover and his daughter. He knew Darcy needed her rest so he ran his fingers down her temple and whispered, "Sleep."

Then he lifted his daughter as gently as if she were made of spun sugar. With one last lingering look at Darcy, he made his way to the door and out into the hall.

At their first look at Astrid, Pepper immediately started bouncing on the balls of her feet and Tony's mouth formed a wide smile. Loki kept his voice low, "She is sleeping."

Pepper bit her lip, tears filling her eyes as she leaned closer to get a better look. After spending a minute examining the baby, she spontaneously popped up on her toes to give Loki a kiss on the cheek. Loki used every ounce of his control not to flinch. Why did women become so demonstrative in their affection when babies were present? It must be instinctual.

He sighed before looking at Pepper, "Have you ever held a child?" At her nod, he shifted his body. "I can see how much you wish to hold her. You may do so." Pepper's smile was blinding as she gently took the child from Loki's arms. After a few minutes of oohing and aahing, she looked up at Loki again. "Can Tony hold her?"

The man in question took a step back, "Whoa! Hold on a minute. I don't do babies." He paused, thinking over the words he'd just said. "Wait…that came out wrong."

Loki held back a laugh. All of these big, strong men – heroes – and they balked at the idea of holding a child. But Loki knew exactly which button to push here, "You are not scared of my little girl, are you?"

Tony's back stiffened as he reflexively bit out, "No! Of course not."

"Then hold your goddaughter."

Tony gave Loki a look filled with a strange combination of pride and dread. Then he let Pepper hand the little body over, nodding at Pepper's anxious whispers of "support her head!" and "she's not a football, Tony!"

Once the child was situated in Tony's arms, Pepper took a step back and Loki took a step forward – it wasn't that he didn't trust the mortal to hold his daughter correctly without Pepper's help, it was just…well, alright – maybe he didn't trust him just yet. After all, the man was holding very precious cargo.

Tony studied the baby, "She's cute in a Benjamin Button sort of way."

Loki had no idea what that meant, so he just nodded and continued to watch carefully. He was almost as afraid for Tony as he was for Astrid. Truthfully, the child was the more durable of the two. Not to mention her dormant Jötunn powers. He really didn't want to have to explain to Pepper why Tony needed to be thawed out for squeezing his daughter too tightly.

A sigh behind him made Loki turn to look at Pepper. She was giving Tony the same look that Jane had given Thor earlier. Apparently, there was just something hardwired into female brains to find the image of their man holding a baby irresistible. It was like a trigger for their own latent desire to become mothers. Poor Tony.

He smirked and leaned closer to whisper in the man's ear, "I do believe that you are next, my friend. Pepper's…what did Darcy call it?...oh yes, her 'biological clock' is ticking."

Tony's head shot up so fast, Loki had to jerk his own head away before it collided with his nose. "What?" Tony caught Pepper's melting look and froze. Loki let out a little chuckle at the pure fear that began to leak from the man's pores.

It took Tony a few seconds before he could actually speak. Once he could, his voice was accusing, "This is your fault."

Loki just smiled.

Astrid was back with her mother, resting as they healed from the trauma of the previous night. Loki spent hours watching the two of them from his position on the bed beside his lover. He would reach out occasionally, running his finger gently down the soft, little form that lay comfortably sprawled on her mother's chest. Suddenly, a whisper ran across his mind and he knew that Tony Stark was worried. A quick check with a double proved that the mortal was now in the same room as his father. That wasn't going to go over well. With a sigh, he eased out of bed and quietly made his way to the throne room.

Voices raised in greeting when Loki entered, which was a pleasant surprise. It seemed people were willing to put aside their differences for the moment, the joy of new life fresh in the air. Groups stood talking animatedly, everyone laughing and smiling. Everyone except Tony Stark.

"What is bothering you, Tony? I could feel your anxiety from halfway across the castle."

Tony leaned close and whispered, "He's looking at me again. Every time I turn around, he's looking at me. It's fucking creepy, man!"

Loki turned his head and, sure enough, Odin was staring at the mortal. He smirked at his father before turning back to Tony.

"You are just paranoid, my friend."

Tony snorted in disbelief. They were quiet for a moment as they watched Pepper and Sif discussing something with warm smiles on their faces.

Tony suddenly said, "She's amazing, Loki. Your little girl."

"I know."

Tony chuckled, "Well, I hope she gets her mother's sense of modesty."

Loki let that one slide – no son of Odin could ever be humble.

Tony added, "But not her mom's tits. Or, I mean, breasts. Shit, I should start censoring myself. I shouldn't curse in front of your kid. Oh I just said 'shit' too." He paused, "And I said it again! This is going to be hard."

Loki was puzzled, "Why should she not have her mother's chest?" He was wondering just how much ale Tony had been able to consume in the time he was away from him.

Tony snapped his fingers, "Chest! That's a much better term. And for safety reasons, of course."

"Safety?"

Tony spoke as if this were a perfectly ordinary topic of conversation, "Well, yeah. I mean I don't consciously ogle Darcy's rack – shit, I mean chest! Oh man, I did it again! I'm never going to be able to keep it PG. You know, that's another good reason not to leave me alone with your offspring – her first word would be 'shit'. I guess that's better than Fury though. If he had kids, their first words would've been 'motherfucker'. Four syllables or not, there'd be no alternative."

Tony was oblivious to the look Loki was giving him. The god's voice was tense, "We shall worry about your language later. Go back to my lover's chest and your tendency to stare at it."

Still oblivious, "Oh, well I don't make it a point to stare. But I do sometimes. I mean, they're right there. It'd be like a sin not to look. Kind of like slapping whatever deity that's responsible for making her right in the face."

Tony finally turned his head and noticed that Loki didn't look pleased, "But see! Your face right now! You look at me like that when I just talk about your girlfriend's breasts. What would you do if it were your daughter? My balls wish they could actually retreat inside my body for safety just thinking about it."

Loki gave him a long, chilling look, "You are telling me that you are planning to stare at my daughter's breasts?"

Tony's mouth dropped open as he realized that was pretty much exactly what he was saying, but not at all what he meant. Shit! Where the hell did Pepper go? She was supposed to use her bony elbows to prevent him from saying things like this. What was the point of her following him up here anyway if she wasn't going to stop him from putting his foot in his mouth? Since he was all alone, he tried to explain, "No! Of course not! I would never. I'm going to be her godfather. That would just be creepy. And I'm not creepy. I'm lots of things – mainly awesome things – but definitely not creepy. I was just thinking about other – creepier – people. People that stare. I'm sure I'd be furious if anybody did that to my daughter. But that's me. You? Well, you would probably kill them. Painfully and slowly, and definitely creatively. That's all I meant."

Loki's brow raised, "I am only refraining from hurting you right now because the woman I love enjoys your company. Know that." Then he paused to actually let the words sink in. "Although you quite crudely bring up a good point." Astrid would be breathtakingly beautiful. Men would one day desire her. How would Loki handle that? The answer seemed simple: Astrid wouldn't be allowed alone in a room with a man who wasn't related to her until…well, never seemed like a good time. Loki smiled, pleased with his plan.

Then he turned to look at a nervous Tony, "And if I ever catch you staring at Darcy's chest again, I will turn you into a woman yourself. That way you can satisfy such a longing merely by looking in the mirror."

Tony paled, "Can you do that?"

Loki's smile was unsettling.

Suddenly, a heavy hand smacked Loki on the back, jarring him and causing him to take a bracing step forward. Obviously, it was Thor. The God of Thunder seemed to have been enjoying some celebratory ale.

"Brother! Everyone, look at my brother! He is a father now!" People cheered and laughed at the slightly slurred words. Loki shook his head at the display. Thor turned his goofy smile on Loki again, "My niece is one very lucky little girl to have you for a father. I can think of no finer man for such an extraordinary task."

Loki blinked at the words. They felt surprisingly nice to hear fall from Thor's lips. He reached his own arm up and patted the larger man on the back. "And she is blessed to have you for an uncle."

Thor's smile became impossibly wider. He started tugging Loki over to the Warriors Three who all smiled and teased and congratulated him again. It felt like old times. No, it felt better than old times because now there was no veil of dishonesty between them.

Again, that foreign emotion trickled into Loki's consciousness. Contentment. Family. Belonging.

Finally.

A/N: I'm closing in on 1,000 reviews. What? WHAT! I don't know how to process this. Thank you? Pinch me? Anyway...there's more to come with this story, so I hope you keep enjoying.