Jane, Sarah and the baby arrived in the city at nearly seven that evening, driving straight to the S.H.I.E.L.D. office where Loki, Thor and Fury were standing in the foyer waiting for them, Loki walking to the door to take the baby carrier from Sarah's hands as he put his other arm around her shoulders to hug her to him. "I've informed Loki, that is, we have an understanding after we talked this afternoon," Fury said, Loki not meeting his stare, instead preferring to look at his sleeping son, knowing it hadn't been a talk as much as it had been a shouting match, "That you will be allowed to stay here with Loki in his old quarters with the baby. We have provided a crib for the baby and anything else you might need." Sarah pulled in as tight as she could to Loki. "Well I'm almost out of diapers. I didn't bring extra and we drove straight through to get here." Fury nodded, "We'll get you what you need. It's been a long day for all of you. I suggest you all go get some rest."

As Sarah walked down the hall on level 10 to Loki's old quarters, she looked about her, recalling their first kiss in the hallway, and smiled. They entered the living area and Sarah sat down on the couch, weary to the very center of her being from the trip. She sat there and watched as Loki undid the straps holding Fen into the carrier, picking him up and handing him to her, then sitting beside her, Fen feeding, content. "What do they think happened with that scepter?" She finally asked as she lifted Fen to burp him. Loki put his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, "They really have no idea, they're looking at energy trace signatures trying to match them to a place in time or space where something might have come through. I think Fury knows it wasn't me this time, what scares him is the thought that if it wasn't me then who or what was it."

He had seen it in Fury's eye and thankfully Fury had not seen the reaction in kind as Loki thought of the dream in the hospital. He looked to Sarah to see she had laid her head back and fallen into a light doze. He reached over and took Fen, walking into the bedroom and spying a small bassinet that Fury had said would be in the room, where he laid his sleeping son. He then went back to the living room and scooped up Sarah, carrying her to the bedroom where he took off her boots and helped her shrug out of her coat. She undid the zipper to her jeans and slipped them off, leaving her sweater on as Loki picked the covers up for her to slide under. Where's Fen?" she mumbled as she laid her head on the pillow, her eyes already closing. "He's right in the bassinet beside you." Loki replied as she put out a hand to feel the side of it. "Okay." Loki walked out into the living area and sat on the couch, ready to drop himself when he heard Sarah, "Loki, will you come to bed please?" He stood back up and walked into the bedroom where Sarah was looking at him from the pillow, "You weren't going to really sleep on the couch and leave me in here alone were you?" Loki shrugged, "I was, I suppose. I hadn't been invited after all…" Sarah waved her hand, "Shut up and get in bed." A few moments later, he had stripped down, was curled up behind her, his arm around her stomach, knees bent into hers and they were asleep in seconds, his final thought as he kissed her shoulder and bid her goodnight, that he would face down death to protect Sarah and their son, an all-consuming feeling that made him pull her closer to him as his eyes drifted closed.

Thursday morning she had found a message in the voicemail on her phone when she'd awakened before Loki and Fen. She sat on the couch in the living area, feet tucked underneath her and listened as Pepper voice came up. "Thanks so much for the pictures of Fen, he's so beautiful. I heard you're at the office and I'd love to see the baby. Is there any time that's good for you? Call me, talk to you soon." Sarah hung up the phone and thought for a few minutes, then went into the bedroom and sat down beside Loki who was lying on his stomach, face turned away from her. He shifted over to make room for her. "Nope, I'm up for the day." He reached behind him and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to lie next to him. "I'm up, sorry." She sat back up, "I've got to go to my apartment." Loki's response a muffled "Mmmph" "I've got to get a couple bags packed for myself and the baby. I got a message from Pepper Potts and I think I'm going to go see her with Fen then see if she wants to go over to my apartment with me and watch Fen while I pack."

Loki raised himself up on his elbows, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Why not leave the baby here with me?" Sarah laid back down and looked at him, "Because I want to show him off, silly." Loki cast her a sidelong glance. I'd go if I could but I'm pretty sure I know Fury's answer, were I to ask." Sarah reached up and pushed the hair back from his face, "Tomorrow, you'll be able to go where you want with me." Loki smiled at this, kissed her, the tenderness making her see stars behind her closed eyes. "Okay",She said, "Gotta get up and make a call, then I'm taking a shower and changing real quick because Squeaks is going to be awake again and calling for his breakfast."

Loki had put his head back down on the pillow, the sound of the running water soothing him into a light sleep until he heard a voice in his ear, "Son of Laufey," Loki opened his eyes, rolling onto his back and sitting straight up, gazing about the room. He stood up from the bed, feeling the cold rising from the floor, enveloping him, chilling his naked body. He reached to the bed and pulled the blanket off it to wrap around him, then walked to the bassinet to check on Fen, turning to shout to Sarah as he saw the bassinet empty. It was then he realized he didn't hear the water running in the shower anymore. Maybe they'd already left. He opened the bathroom door and stumbled backwards as he saw Sarah, frozen in a thick layer of ice, lying half in and out of the tub and he let out a roar..

…that brought Sarah running out of the bathroom, startling Fen as he started to fuss then to cry. "Loki, Jesus Christ!" She cried, kneeling on the bed and shaking him to bring him out of whatever dream he'd been having.

Loki felt her hands on his shoulders, opening his eyes, he saw her kneeling over him and he grabbed her to him in a hug that crushed the air from her lungs. "Okay," She gasped, "Maybe it's time to tell me what you're dreaming about," She said, sitting back on the bed, reaching over and picking the baby up from the bassinet. "He's wet, here, hold him until I get a pad and a diaper." Loki looked down at his son then at Sarah. "I would feel so much better if you'd at least take an agent with you when you go to the apartment." Sarah spread the changing pad on the bed, took Fen from Loki, laid him down then started to take off his pajamas. "Did you forget that I'm an agent too? I'll be fine, what have I got to worry about or are you going to keep it to yourself?" Loki put his finger out for the baby to grasp which he did obligingly, "I think I might be over-worrying things a bit, wanting to keep you and the baby safe, preparing for the worst in my head." Sarah fastened the new diaper around Fen, then reached into the small diaper bag and pulled out a small one-piece outfit. "I'm going to give him a bath tonight when I get back so he'll be ready for the trip tomorrow, now why would you prepare for the worst? What classifies your idea of worst?"

She took Fen and opened her bathrobe, tickling his lips with her nipple until his mouth opened like a baby bird and found it, latching on. Loki watched them for a moment, reached over and stroked the slope of her breast with the back of his hand. "It is still a wonder to me." Sarah smiled at him, "What is?" Loki leaned over and kissed the top o Fen's head, "Him, you, us together here, after so long, finally having something like this to change my life." Loki looked up at her, "Sarah, he is my firstborn." Sarah didn't dare to return his gaze, so strong were her emotions that they threatened to overwhelm her. Loki lay back down in front of her lap, his finger still encircled by Fen's. She wished she could stop this moment in time and hide it away somewhere special, and in her heart, she did.

Pepper heard the townhouse elevator doors open and ran up the steps to hug Sarah as she set the baby carrier down. As she walked down the steps into the recessed living area, she heard a door open behind her and Stark's voice, "Ah here's the little godbaby…or baby god…tell me what exactly do you call it?" "She calls him Fen." Pepper retorted, "Come and see him, I'm sure you're safe." Pepper grinned at Sarah who was taking off Fen's too large snowsuit. "Would you like to hold him?" She asked Pepper, positioning Fen in her arms, supporting his head. She happened to glance at Tony who was staring at Pepper, drink halfway to his mouth, until he saw Sarah and threw the glass back, draining the contents. "So, no aliens bursting out of your chest or nothing like that huh? Just a normal birth, sounds like a good start, probably a good thing I didn't bet with you, Miss Potts."

Pepper glared at him then returned her attention to Fen, "How's the proud papa?" Sarah nodded, "He's okay, having bad dreams lately but other than that, he's proud." Tony came down the steps to sit on the couch next to Pepper. "So how do we look?" He said to Sarah, "Just trying it on for size…seems a little too tight for me…" He stood back up and bent over to Fen. "He sorta looks like you, don't he. Good thing." Sarah thought to herself that Tony seemed strangely at a loss for words, a newsworthy event if there ever were one. "We're going to get going over to Sarah's apartment, I'm going to watch the baby while she packs for the trip." Tony nodded, "Oh yeah, over the river and through the air to grandmother's house. Take lots of pictures." Tony walked back up to the wet bar, "Jarvis," he said, a voice like the room had answered him, "Yessir," "We need a car ready to take Miss Miller to her apartment." The voice replied, "Already waiting in the garage sir." Tony smiled, "That's why I keep him around."

The apartment seemed so empty when she unlocked the door and found no Mr. Whiskers there to greet her. She had asked Lizzie to care for until she came back. Pepper sat on the couch, watching Fen, asleep in his carrier. Tony had come along which had surprised both Pepper and Sarah and now he stood, looking around the apartment. "This place is so small, how do you manage like this?" He remarked, "It's only me and Fen, we don't need much space." She called out to him from her bedroom as she slid a rolling suitcase from under her bed, brushing off the dust. "Shows how much traveling I do," She murmured, then opened her dresser to start packing essentials. "How much is this place a month?" Tony called to her, "Nine hundred, the landlord is pretty fair, but I'm behind right now a little seeing as I'm on maternity leave." Tony turned to Pepper and mouthed, "Take care of that." Then, "Well I guess you're getting a steal here in Manhattan." Fen let out a squeak and Pepper called to Sarah who came out of the bedroom, suitcase rolling behind her, "He's voicing his opinion, take him out of that carrier if you want, he might be hot in there."

Sarah went into the baby's room and grabbed her large diaper bag, unsure how many days she would be in Asgard but opting to pack at least five outfits, they must have babies in Asgard, surely they would have what she needed there. She reached into the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out the rune stone, tucking it in one of the little inner pockets, it had helped her and Fen so far, she thought she might as well bring it.

When she finally walked out of Fen's bedroom, she found that Pepper had managed to coax Tony into holding Fen, a look of wonder likely rarely seen upon his face as he watched him rub his tiny hand against his face, his mouth open. "He eats like he's never full." Sarah said, sorry to break the spell. Tony looked up at her as if in a daze, then handed the baby to Pepper sitting beside him. "Well I hate to tell him, this wet bar is not open for business." He stood up from the couch, "Have you got everything?" Sarah nodded, "Are you sure?" She nodded again, thought about it, then asked him, "What else do I need?" Tony crossed his arms, "Well you're still an agent right? What about your revolver?" Pepper stared at Tony, "A weapon where she's going? Isn't that like bringing a pea shooter to a nuclear explosion? Besides maybe they'd think that was a hostile act on her part." Tony turned to Pepper, "I didn't say she had to bring it into battle, just as a precaution, like the boy scouts, be prepared?"

Sarah, meanwhile, had walked over to the stand by the door and opened the drawer, taking out the revolver she kept there, checked the safety, walked over to Fen's diaper bag, and slid it far beneath the clothes and diapers and wipes and blankets to rest at the bottom. "Good idea." Tony smiled, "Let's get going."

Loki wasn't in his quarters when she got back. She set the carrier down and took Fen out of it, undoing his snowsuit, picking him up and putting him against her shoulder, then walking back out into the corridor to look for him, glancing as she walked by, into lab 3 where she was delighted to find Doctor Banner who waved her into the lab. "Hello Sarah, I knew you were back but I didn't expect to see you." He walked over to her and peeked around her shoulder at Fen, sleeping, his mouth moving as he suckled in his dreams. "Oh he's beautiful," Banner smiled, and Sarah thought that it really lit up his face when it was genuine, "Thank you, Doctor, I think he is too, would you like to hold him?" Banner backed away a little and held up his hands, "No, I'll admire from afar. I'm not so sure how Loki would take to me holding his son." Sarah rubbed Fen's back, "Forgive me for asking but I couldn't help but hear that you're seeing that pretty girl from the party. Is everything going well with that?" Banner looked at the floor and she could see the color rise to his cheeks, "Yeah, I don't want to jinx it but it's actually going great, her name is Riley Scott, smartest woman I've ever met." Banner saw movement in the corridor and the door slid open. "Sarah, when did you get back?" Loki asked as he walked up behind her and kissed her shoulder. "Just now, I've only been talking to the doctor for two minutes," Banner gave Loki a small smile and Loki nodded in return. "Come, we're going to dinner tonight." Sarah waved to Banner and let Loki lead her out of the lab.

When they were in his quarters, Loki said, "Jane is making supper for us, you, me and Thor because he'll be gone for a few days. She's going to pick us up in an hour." Sarah nodded and put Fen in his bassinet then took Loki's hand in hers, "Just long enough for you to tell me what your dreams have been about." Loki squeezed her hand and shook his head. "I can only tell you that they involve my heritage." Sarah cocked her head to the side, "Asgard?" Loki stared at the floor, "Jotunheim, I have dreamed of it, of someone I don't know yet." Sarah put her hand to his chin and lifted his face to look at her, "Yet? Do you think you'll meet this person in the future?" Loki hesitated, then, "Yes, I think I will," here Loki forced a grin and said, "But it is not for you to worry. Let's get the baby ready to go before Fury thinks better of his decision."

Sarah lay in bed that evening, staring at the ceiling, listening to Loki's soft breathing, thinking of the trip to Asgard tomorrow and the conversation at the dinner table at Jane's apartment in Brooklyn. Thor had turned to Loki when Sarah had mentioned the bad dreams Loki had been having, "What sort of dreams, brother, portents?" Loki had shaken his head and tried to change the subject but Thor had persisted, "When we return to Asgard, you must consult the seer." Loki had glared at Thor but had not denied his statement. There had been tearful goodbyes with Jane from everyone, she'd even managed to give Loki a hug before they left. She had touched foreheads with Thor and he had spoken to her softly, telling her that he would come back here as soon as he could and then he had left to return to the office with them in preparation for tomorrow.

She held her breath, could hear Fen as he shifted position in the bassinet, then let it out, taken aback that she could suddenly see her breath in the air around her and she shivered, wondering if the temperature controls in the room were suddenly not working. She sat up in bed intending to check the gauge and was suddenly aware that there was someone in the room besides the three of them, she turned around, intending to wake Loki and her hand only met with empty sheets. She pivoted her legs out over the floor and stood up, heading to the living area to see if Loki had gotten up, seeing the baby safe in his bassinet, she entered the living room where the temperature seemed to have dipped considerably and she spun around to re-enter the bedroom wanting to grab her robe when she saw what had made the room so cold and found Loki as well.

The recessed light in the molding at the floor cast them mostly in shadow but she could see the person behind Loki was at least a foot taller than him. She felt a scream catch in her throat as the figure finally spoke, "You wish to know the dreams that plague the son of Laufey?" She thought of her revolver in the diaper bag in the bedroom behind her but was afraid to move, "Hold out your hand to her," The figure said to Loki and he raised his right hand out to her, she could see it shaking as she eased forward, trying to reach it, thinking to pull him to her, then the figure spoke again "Would it that it were so easy as that." She glanced up from Loki's hand and watched in mounting horror as the figure grabbed Loki's long hair from behind and pulled his head back. "No, please no," Sarah moaned, and the figure chuckled. "Would it that his suffering would end as swiftly," She heard a crackle and creaking as if someone had poured water on ice and she saw the glint of light as the figure raised his other hand and she could see a thin pointed sliver of ice, the ambient light glinting off it in which she could see Loki's face, his eyes now closed, his countenance grim and set. "The son of Laufey is of little consequence to me," The figure said and she could hear the mirth in his voice, "He is an abomination." The figure placed the dagger of ice against Loki's throat, yanking his hair again, pulling him hard against his chest, "The blood of Laufey is what I crave." And he drew the dagger across Loki's throat. Sarah screamed then, seeing the line of blood grow and begin to run down over the front of his t shirt as Loki convulsed forward slipping from the figure's grasp to kneel on the floor before him. "A fine position for the son of Laufey, kneeling" The figure reached down, grabbed Loki and brought the dagger hard against the back of his neck…

Sarah opened her eyes, momentarily unable to catch her breath as she flailed at the covers of the bed. She sat up, gasping and peered into the darkness of the bedroom, turned to her right and realized Loki wasn't in bed. Panic enveloped her as she threw the covers off her and stumbled into the living area, fully expecting to find his body on the floor by the door. She came through into the living room, hitting the light panel as she passed through and stopping dead, staring until she heard a voice behind her. "Sarah?" She turned to see Loki standing in the doorway, squinting slightly against the light, "What's wrong?" She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Where did you go?" She cried, "To the bathroom, what, what's wrong?" He felt her violent trembling beneath his hands and pushed her from him till he was looking in her eyes, "You saw him didn't you." Sarah could barely nod, "It was real, I swear to god it was real." She closed her eyes, her bottom lip quivering, "You, that thing, killed you, made me watch.."

She put her hands over her mouth and bent over doubled, feeling like she was going to be sick. Loki pulled her up and guided her to the couch where he gathered her on his lap and sat rocking her, rubbing her back for long minutes until she said, "That's what you've been dreaming about?" she felt Loki nod, "I didn't want you to see what I have seen." She pushed away from him, gazing at his face, burning the image into her mind to replace the one currently on rewind in her head at the moment. "What was it, what was that thing?" Loki turned away from her, "He was a frost giant, from the realm called Jotunheim." Sarah turned his face back to hers, "You were born on Jotunheim." Loki could only nod. "But you're not like them." "But I am, Sarah, you've seen it. Remember that I told you the same thing I told Jane, mythology is but stories but there are always some truths intertwined." Sarah glanced towards the bedroom, "What about Fen?" Loki smiled sadly, "He's half human now isn't he?" She nodded and as if on cue, they heard a squeak from the bassinet and Sarah smiled back at Loki and rose from his lap to fetch the baby as Loki leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, never more eager to get home to Asgard in all his life as he was now.