A/N: Auggghhh, so sorry to take so long to update.
The atmosphere in Stark Tower was a far cry from the festive mood of the previous day. The Avengers filed in, each wearing an uncertain frown; they'd each received a cryptic early morning phone call from Tony, something about Loki amping up his wizardly mojo and wanting back-up available, just in case. His voice had been a little more high-pitched than usual, and none of it made much sense, but they came anyway.
There were similar looks of concern from Frigga and Thor. They were occupied watching Loki feed little Jacob, each wondering if it could really be possible for this sweetly good-natured man, smiling and holding his tiny son, to become the dark villain who'd brought about such havoc and misery to so many, not so very long ago.
Such thoughts clearly didn't trouble Farbauti. She looked on as well, alternating between enjoying the sight of her long-lost son and new grandchild with starting up a spritely conversation with Steve Rogers, who appeared more at ease with her than with anyone else.
Loki himself had completely reclaimed his regal bearing, holding himself in a proud and cocky manner, yet his pose was softened by the gentle way he cradled the infant and spoke softly to him, encouraging him to finish his bottle. His smile penetrated the cold mask he'd worn so often around people like Thor and Clint, reaching into his clear green eyes and making them dance.
Tony was the only one appearing to be out-and-out worried. He trusted Loki, he really did, but there was a wealth of knowledge about Loki's magic that Tony wasn't up to speed on, and of course everything always seemed worse in his imagination. He was running doomsday scenarios through his mind, counting off items in his contingency plan—Hulk post-disaster containment, check; Ironman suit in readiness, check; JARVIS' emergency mode, up and running, check—over and over again. Not that any of that was going to come up, but still. No way was he going to take a chance on another Loki-led attack on New York, or all of Midgard, or whatever the hell his beguiling lover might turn his attention to, addled by an additional boost of power.
Food had appeared, enough to sate even an Asgardian's healthy appetite, and people milled around, drinking coffee and nibbling at croissants or danishes, waiting for a word of direction from Tony. Tony and Frigga looked to Loki, who was now holding a onesie-clad Jacob over his shoulder and patting his little back. A loud "burp!" erupted from the baby, and everyone laughed, releasing some of the tension.
With that, Loki stood up. "All right. It's time to get on with things." He handed Jacob to Thor, who wrapped a baby blanket protectively around the child and beamed happily at being trusted with his charge. Loki smiled wryly at that, and then asked, "Did Tony explain why he asked you here this morning?" Loki looked around and saw some half-hearted shrugs.
"It was pretty early. He wasn't very... clear," Natasha said.
"What a surprise." Loki rolled his eyes. "Well, in essence, I want to cast a spell on Jacob, which will mask his Jotunn appearance for the rest of his life. I haven't the power to do so on my own, so I'll be drawing energy from ore brought here from Jotunheim." He cast a fond look at Tony. "And, our Man of Iron is worried that I will lose control and revert to the treacherous madman I was before. Which..." He surveyed the room, locking eyes with each Avenger for a moment before drawing himself up even straighter. "...is not an unfounded concern."
Bruce shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "So, you think you might go bonkers on us, is that it?"
A soft, "eh-eh-eh," escaped Loki's lips. "Something like that. I'd hope it to be a trifle more elegant an event, but yes."
"Loki, you've worked so hard." Thor stepped forward, holding Jacob easily with one hand. With the other, he clasped Loki's shoulder. "You're strong. Surely you can manage this, for the good of your son?"
Loki nodded. "I believe I can, otherwise I wouldn't even try. But, like Tony, I believe in being prepared for all contingencies." He grinned a little. "That's where you and I differ, isn't it, brother?"
Thor smiled back. "I've learned much from you, believe it or not. I hope I am the better for it."
A somber look came over Loki. He nodded again and then took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."
"Come on, Avengers. We're doing this down in the lab." Tony gave Frigga and Farbauti a nod of acknowledgement. "I guess you two should come too, right?"
"Of course," Frigga agreed. The grandmothers stood and followed the troupe to elevator. They all crowded in, Thor maintaining possession of his little nephew, and when the doors opened again, Tony led them into his beloved lab.
Everyone chose a place to sit or lean around the periphery of the big room. Tony gathered chairs and made a spot for him, Loki, and Thor to sit in a circle. When everyone was situated, he went to stand by the old wall safe where the pendant was stored. "So, who wants to do the unveiling?" he asked.
"Let me," Farbauti answered. She strode over and when Tony swung open the safe's door, she reached in and brought out the hide-wrapped object. She untied the sinew strips that bound it, and dangled the pendant from one finger. The cold blue stone in its center lit up the dim corner where they stood. Farbauti smiled.
"Ah, see? It's so beautiful, is it not? Loki, here is your gift." She went to Loki and knelt beside him, lifting his hand and pressing the pendant into his palm. "Use it well, my son." The name came easily to her now, and Loki acknowledged it with a slight nod.
"Thank you." He gripped the pendant, its blue glow shimmering between his fingers. He closed his eyes and the room fell silent as everyone watched in varying stages of anxiousness as Loki's placid expression deepened into a furrow of concentration, and then into something like pain. His breaths came faster and the light in his closed hand seemed to shoot out around his fingers and soak into the veins of his skin. He gasped, threw his head back and clutched the pendant to his chest with both hands.
A great cacophony of sights and sounds assaulted his mind, unseen hands dragging him downward into a cold, stony abyss. They let him go, he began to fall, and he saw...
Captain America, a broken, bloody mess—
Natasha Romanova, strung up by the neck like a doll.
The Hulk, gutted, rotting, laid out for the buzzards and coyotes.
Hawkeye, beaten stupid, awaiting a death blow, begging for it...
And then... A triumphant return to Jotunheim as Loki, the Jotunn King, proudly wearing his true flesh, ruling as he was meant to—Farbauti at his right hand, his brothers by birth on his left... Marching into Asgard, to conquer the land of Odin, returning with the Allfather's head on a spike at last...
Damn it.
NO.
Please, no. Somewhere from deep within his soul came questions—Where was Tony? Jacob? Frigga? They were in none of those visions. Loki, in his mind's eye, forced himself to freeze mid-fall. The hands grabbed at him again, but he struggled free, and then he was ascending, up, up, until he was on his feet, firm on solid ground.
"By the Norns..." he hissed, opening his eyes. He sat panting, staring at the floor for a long moment. "The power of this thing..." A slow, wicked grin tugged at his lips. "What I could have done with this." He laughed darkly and threw a glance toward Steve, Clint and Natasha. "I'd have had you all on your knees before me, you know. Ah, it would have been grand."
All three flinched and went into full alert mode. Bruce came forward, crossing his arms over his chest, taking up a flank position.
Tony saw, and quickly reached out and put a strong hand on the nape of Loki's neck, kneading the sinewy muscles under taut skin. "Babe?" he said into Loki's ear. "How about we focus on, uh, making the Jakester a little less blue, okay? Want to?"
Loki took a deep breath, shuddering at Tony's touch as he filled his lungs with cleansing air. "Yes. Yes, Tony, I do." He turned his gaze to Tony, giving him a reassuring look. "It's all right, I'm fine. I'm in control. I was just... daydreaming." He held out his hand and opened his fist, revealing the glowing stone. He stood up and walked around the room, letting everyone look at it and feel its presence. "To be sure, this holds a powerful energy within it," he announced. "But without my seidr, it's just a rock." He returned to his seat and faced Thor. "Look at me, Thor. I am in control, am I not?"
The two brothers sat staring at each other. Thor searched Loki's eyes for hints of evil or lies or cruelty, but he saw only clear reason. He gave a tentative smile, and then reached out and cupped Loki's face in his big hand. He held it there for a long moment, and kept Loki's unwavering gaze. At last, he dropped his hand and said, "Yes. I believe you are."
Loki smiled back. "And, I will never again bring harm to those I love. I swear it."
"All right. Are you ready to cast the spell then, brother?"
Loki nodded. He took Jacob and cradled him in one arm. The infant was asleep, but he made a sweet cooing noise as he snuggled into his father's grip. Loki held the pendant tightly with his other hand and began making gestures in patterns over Jacob, starting at his head and moving slowly down his small body. He murmured strange words under his breath and then handed the pendant back to Farbauti and placed his empty hand on Jacob's chest.
Everyone gathered close and watched in amazement as Jacob's sky-blue flesh began to fade into a soft creamy pinkish color. The light tribal markings disappeared, and after a few moments, Jacob had the appearance of any typical mortal baby one might encounter in the realm of Midgard. Loki gently tickled the little one under his chin, and Jacob briefly opened his eyes—revealing strikingly beautiful, but happily unremarkable, dark blue orbs.
"It is done," Loki said with a tired sigh. He looked first at Thor, and then at Tony before anxiously examining Jacob's new features. "Is he all right?"
Both men smiled and Tony moved in for a hug. "He's gorgeous," Tony said.
"My beautiful nephew." Thor pressed a kiss onto Jacob's forehead.
"A bit boring, but he's still lovely," Farbauti said with a sniff. "However, I hope one day he will choose to wear his true countenance."
"He might," Loki said generously. "It will be up to him. And, Tony and I will explain it all to him as soon as he is old enough to comprehend." He gave Tony a rueful grin; he could already imagine the awkward conversation to come. But, that was part of being a parent, he supposed.
Tony turned to Farbauti, "Hey, let's put away the necklace now, okay? Don't want to push it."
Farbauti shrugged. "It belongs to Loki. What would you like to do with it, son?"
Loki waved dismissively. "Lock it up. That will keep it safe from foolish mortals. If I ever have need of it, a mere lock won't keep it from me. But, I hope that day will never come."
It was a grim thought, and everyone fell silent as they mulled it over. Then, Jacob opened his blue eyes and began fussing, and Loki chuckled. "Oh, dear, the little one's ceased being the center of attention for a moment, we can't have that. I think it's time for a bath, don't you, Papa? Would you please do the honors?"
"Yeah, glad to." Tony took Jacob and headed to the elevator. "There's still plenty of food and coffee, if anyone wants more breakfast. I need to go have a nice quiet nervous breakdown myself, so if you could all see yourselves out, that'd be great. Thanks." He stepped into the elevator car and closed the door, leaving the group to start chatting and laughing in relief. Thor and Loki stood up and went to wait in the anteroom for the car to come back down, while the others continued to mill around in the lab itself.
"I'm proud of you, brother." Thor slipped an arm around Loki's shoulders and squeezed tightly. Loki groaned in mock disgust.
"Well, I live for that, you know," he said sardonically, but he leaned into the embrace just a little bit. It was because he was exhausted, he told himself. A perfectly plausible explanation, nothing to do with appreciating his oaf of a brother's good will.
In truth, he was exhausted. He'd held his seidr at bay for so long, he felt wrung out by his efforts, and he longed for a comfy chair to collapse into. But, it was a good kind of exhaustion, and knowing that he'd lived up to Tony's—and, yes, Thor's—faith in him wasn't a bad feeling, either. Once he got some food and coffee into himself, he thought he might begin to feel quite a bit more chipper indeed. He began herding everyone into the elevator as soon as it came back down—he didn't want to hang out in Tony's inhospitable and funky-smelling workshop anymore.
Aaand, there was another reason he was in a hurry to get back upstairs. He might not be evil, but he was still the god of mischief, and he'd been unable to resist playing a tiny little prank on Tony.
He wanted to be on hand to enjoy the fireworks when his mortal discovered what it was.