When Anna met Loki

Chapter 4

Another four weeks have passed. This strange relationship they had, seemed to be happening in four weeks intervals, so Anna was hoping something would happen any day now... She recently realized that the nausea she initially took for food poisoning was something far from that. She did not even consider that at first as three doctors already proclaimed her sterile some years back. But both a pregnancy test and Doctor Martin, the same doc that was in charge of Alice when she was expecting Emily, could not lie.
This made her think more of Loki and who he actually was. All this time she pushed that somewhere to the back of her head – what he was once and what he's become now. Whatever his history, she must accept it now, as he is the father of this child. Even though she did not believe in destiny, fate or whatever you would call it, Anna couldn't help but feel this is somehow providential. He was the only one that could give her a child.
How could she break this to him...? Well, however she would, he would freak out – that she knew for sure. He would freak out in his alien, high and mighty way.
When it'd been almost five weeks from the last time she saw him, she decided to ask Jeremy. He was still around the house every day, but would not be making so much noise anymore, now that she knew his real assignment.
"Any chance he would be coming soon?" Anna asked, hoping she is not sounding desperate.
"No, ma'am," he answered in his short manner. But after a second thought he added. "Normally, he would check in every few days. I haven't talked to him for the last two weeks though. I'm sorry, ma'am."
"That's ok," Anna tried to sound cheerful and careless, but she felt he was not fooled. She went back to her office to do some more work, but that did not go very well and she just sat at her desk deep in thoughts.

The next morning she decided to stop waiting for him and just focus on the everyday – like she's done before. He'll come eventually. The moment she made that decision, Jeremy knocked on the door and walked in.
"You have a visitor, ma'am," he said apologetically, so Anna guessed it's not Loki. And she was right – Tony Stark walked into her kitchen.
"Hi, there!" he said with that glow around him.
"Coffee?" she asked with a smile.
"Only if it's good," he answered and sat at the table.
Anna made coffee, poured it only for him. She still couldn't stand the smell, at least now she knew why.
"Last time I checked I did not have any super powers, so I assume this is about Loki...?"
He was silent for a moment.
"I wouldn't be so sure about those superpowers..." he said quite seriously and when he saw the disbelief on her face, he continued, "you seem to have some power over our dear Loki. Each time he returned from here, and I know he was here a couple of times, he was more focused, motivated and determined to protect this planet."
"Maybe that's the air around here," she tried to turn it into a joke, "or my coffee?"
Tony looked at his cup and took another sip.
"Then maybe I should take stock of your coffee with me?" he answered trying to give Anna a hint, which she got. She took a step back.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Shock was the right way to describe her feelings right now. "Why can't Loki just come here like he did before?"
"He is kind of on a cross road right now... and I think if he does not get a push in the right direction, he will take the wrong turn..."
"Oh my God, stop these metaphors! " Anna looked out the window for a moment, considering. Well, she does want to see Loki. If this is the only way. What the hell. Sam will manage for several days. "Can you give me half an hour?" she asked having decided. Stark did not answer just held his thumbs up. "Take some more coffee. And there are muffins if you want." And she was gone.
Anna needed to make some calls. The most difficult one was to Sam. Luckily he was not at home. It was easier to explain it, or try to explain it over the phone as he could not see her expression. Then she packed some basic stuff to her backpack and was ready to go... wherever she was supposed to go.
Back in the kitchen she found Stark finishing up the second muffin. She smiled as even this he was doing with style.
"I'm ready, but if you need a few more minutes."
"No, that's fine," he said lightly. "I'll just take the last one with me," and he grabbed the last muffin from the plate. Anna followed him out of the house and into the backyard. The plane or ship – whatever they called it – was in the same place the chopper landed few months ago, when he was first here. She noticed Jeremy nearby, watching her a bit worried.
"Give me one moment!" she called out to Stark who was already much ahead of her. She did not wait for his answer, just walked to Jeremy. "Can you please stay here?"
He just nodded his head not surprised with this request.
"Can you now please find something to fix in Sam's house?" Anna asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you," she said and followed Stark who stood in the entrance of the aircraft finishing the last muffin. "I hope you do not get sick from all that sugar."
"I'm all sugar, baby!" he exclaimed as the door shut behind them. "Natasha, this is Anna. Anna, this is Natasha, she will be our pilot today."
Anna raised her hand in a shy greeting. She knew very well who that was. Natasha just answered in a harsh tone, "buckle up!" But did not wait for them to take their seats and started the engines right away, just to take off seconds later.