An Asgardian Lullaby

"Darcy. Darcy please. I don't know what to do."

"Loki I'm sure you can handle it."

Loki looked over fearfully toward the bassinet set in the corner. Gold gauze curtains covered the dark wood frame. Scenes from different mythologies were engraved upon the wood and all in all it was a beautiful sight. Still Loki looked toward the bassinet and took a cautious step back. Without preamble the quiet of the large room was shattered as a shriek issued from inside the crib.

There were few things that could truly make Loki tremble in terror. His wife was one, Ragnarok a close second, but the third? That was his young child. A little baby girl named Tolkien. (Darcy insisted that if she had to be named based on a book character then so would her child. Loki barely managed to convince her on the author and not Katniss.)

"Loki? You still there?" Darcy's voice brought him back to the present and away from Tolkien's screaming.

"Yes love, I'm still here." Loki answered back.

Darcy sighed through the phone. She got butterflies in her stomach every time he called her that. "Good. Now I'm sure you can handle a couple hours with Tolkien on your own. I'll try to hurry as fast as I can but Idun's apples are fragile."

"They're not that fragile." Loki grumbled.

"They are during this stage. Idun says we need to cover them with the nets or else the birds will get to them. The thing is though, the nets need to be placed in just the right way so the fruits not bruised or anything."

"I'm sure it's all very complicated and Idun needs you but I assure you; I need you more." Tolkien's screams grew louder as more time passed.

"Oh for Gods sake. Man up Loki!" With that lovely parting statement Darcy ended the phone call and Loki was left alone in the room. Well alone besides Tolkien.

Loki sighed and ran his hands aggressively through his hair. It was shorter than he liked - just past his chin - but Darcy liked it better this way. Said that it made him look less like a crazed psycho and more respectable. Speaking of Darcy, there was no telling just when she would be back. Idun was one of the more gentler goddesses on Asgard but even she could command anything when she wanted. Darcy could be there for hours more.

Another of Tolkien's loud shrieks made him flinch and snap out of his trance. His daughter needed something and he was the only one available to help her. Frigga was with Darcy at Idun's orchard and Odin and Thor were in a meeting. Jane was observing the Bifrost as she was want to do. And even if the servants weren't terrified of him already, Loki wouldn't let them anywhere near his firstborn.

So cautiously he stepped over to the crib and pulled back the curtains to look down upon her.

Bright blue eyes squinted shut and a tiny nose scrunched up in anger appeared before his eyes. Her pink mouth was opened wide and the most horrendous noise came from it. As if she sensed him though she quickly quieted down and looked up at him, her baby blues full of curiosity and wonder.

Loki reached a hand down and cautiously pushed back her tangled black curls. While she had inherited his coloration she had Darcy's full head of hair in a state of near snarled almost all the time.

"Oh my child," Loki murmured. "Why do you cry out? What's wrong?"

Slowly her skin seemed to grow even paler and a blue cast overcame her skin. Loki stilled his entire body as he looked down with a mixture of fright and wonder. Ever so carefully as his daughter became colder and more blue, Loki striped the wards both protecting anyone who touched him and altering his appearance until the same color, although darker, flowed over his body. Little Tolkien reached a tiny hand up to grasp at her fathers hand which still rested upon her head and held on tight. With her other hand she reached up at her Father and flexed her fingers in the universal code for both gimme and pick me up. Loki, understanding this, reached down and carefully picked up his now blue daughter and settled her into his arms.