Utter Darkness

Vanaheim was gorgeous. They had spent almost two months realm hopping, and finally settled in Vanaheim for the last few weeks. Turns out Frigga still had some connections to folks on her home realm, and they were set up in a beautiful home with servants and everything.

It was like something straight out of Lord of the Rings. The home they were staying in was carved directly out of a cliff face and there was a waterfall on one side. They were nestled in a small valley, surrounded by nature. It was spring here, the trees were in bloom, and it was magnificent.

Yet Darcy felt awful. Loki had disappeared three days earlier, saying he had to run a quick errand. She’d contracted some kind of stomach bug, and she’d accidently puked on Frigga.

She had been quite worried when Loki hadn’t come back the first night so she’d called Tony to see if he or Thor had heard from Loki. They hadn’t of course, which made her worry more, which made her nausea worse.

The day after that, Frigga had shown up unexpectedly, and clucked her tongue and helped Darcy back to her bed. Darcy had spent most of her second night alone in the bathroom. Frigga had graciously offered to heal Darcy, but after doing some magic, smiled softly, and told her it was just one of those things that would pass with time.

Frigga had questioned Darcy about the nature of Loki’s errand, for which Darcy had no real answer.

Darcy dozed off and when she woke up Frigga was holding a cool cloth on her forehead. They had talked some more, and then embarrassingly Darcy’s lunch decided come back.

Frigga had been kind and helped Darcy to the bathroom, called a servant in to clean the room, and then left to change herself. Darcy was certain that if it was possible to die of mortification she would have dropped right then.

So the next morning when she woke up and felt Loki lying in front of her on the bed she wasn’t exactly overjoyed that he was back. The nausea was still there and so she endeavored to move as little as possible. She poked him… hard. “Hey, where the hell have you been?” she hissed.

He squirmed on the bed moving to face her, jostling her in the process. She closed her eyes, grit her teeth, and breathed through her nose until the nausea calmed some. When she finally opened her eyes, his face was a study in worry and concern. “Oh you so do not get to give me that look right now. I am seriously pissed at you. Running an errand, really? That usually means a couple of hours at most, not three frickin days!”

“I do apologize for the delay. We have been on the run since we left Stark Tower but something you said there has been troubling me. I am unfamiliar with Midgardian customs so I went to Midgard to ask Stark about it,”

Darcy scowled.

“…who directed me to Ms. Potts.”

This seemed to relieve Darcy.

“She explained as you had said that we had indeed done things in reverse order. So I’ve been busy seeing to a few things on Midgard, then I visited with Thor to make a request of him. And last, I went to Asgard to speak with Mother and Od… Father,” he faltered.

Another wave of nausea hit her and she had to roll onto her back until it passed. Her view of the sun-dappled ceiling was interrupted by his concerned face hovering over her. “Are you ill?”

“No I’m training for the fucking winter Olympics,” she deadpanned. “Yes, I’m ill. I’ve had some kind of nasty stomach bug for almost the whole time you’ve been gone.” He sat crossed legged beside her and his hands moved over her body in a familiar pattern. “Your mom already did that. She said it was just one of those things that would pass with time.”

He frowned, “Ridiculous. Anything can be healed; there is no reason to have to endure an illness when it can be…” His hands froze, and his head quirked to the side. The pattern he was weaving above her changed and his eyebrows shot up. He looked at her, at his hands, back at her, and practically jumped off of the bed.

“Oh no, am I contagious? Cause, I really like that girl Mila and she’s been around a lot helping out, and I’d hate for her to get…”

Loki was pacing, his hand fisted in the hair at the nape of his neck, he looked almost terrified.

She swallowed hard. “Loki…” He didn’t respond “Babe?” He was starting to freak her out. She struggled to sit up. Almost immediately, he was by her side urging her to lie back down. “Holy shit, I’m not contagious, I’m fucking dying!” Tears welled in her eyes.

He shook his head, he laughed, but there were tears in his eyes too. “No min elskede, you’re not dying.” He knelt on the floor by her side of the bed.

“Then what the hell is going on?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He swallowed and opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring. “Darcy, I have come to find that you are my everything. You are the light that pulled me from darkness, and my anchor in the times of storm. I love you beyond reason and would be overjoyed if you would be my wife...”

Her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, babe…”

He held up a golden apple with the other hand. “…as long as we both shall live.”

“Is that?” she gasped.

“Yes, I received it from Odin yesterday. Quite unexpectedly, though now that I know mother
was here I understand better his reason for granting it to you so quickly.”

She slowly pulled herself to sitting her open hands resting on her knees. He knelt before her, ring in one hand, a golden apple of Idun, in the other. She tried to smile through her tears.

“Will the apple cure whatever’s wrong with me?”

He laughed and placed both in her open hands. “Is that a yes?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” it was hardly more than a breath of a word.

He curled her loose fingers around the apple and raised it to her mouth. “You have no need of healing, min elskede…” His voice was thick and he smiled brightly. “You are with child.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six years later…

Loki was thrilled with the news, Darcy… not so much. A wide smile split his face as he guided Darcy down the long hallway. Her arms coiled tightly around his waist as his arm rested lightly on her shoulders. Her face was pale and she seemed to be in slight shock.

She began to worry, “I don’t think I can do this babe. It’s just too much, I’m…”

“Shh, we’re almost to Annorah’s room. I’m certain you will be fine. Do not fret, she is likely asleep, and you’ll wake her needlessly.”

Darcy let go of his waist and stopped walking. “How can you be so calm about this?” He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off. “I know why. Because you won’t have to…”

“Momma?” a soft voice called.

Loki gave Darcy an ‘I told you so’ sort of look as their daughter came out of her room rubbing sleepy eyes.

“Hey baby girl. I’m sorry did I wake you up with my fussing?” Darcy crooned as she swept the tiny five-year-old up into her arms. The girl tucked her face into the crook of her mother’s neck as Darcy rubbed her back.

Loki gave Darcy a stern look. “You should not…”

Darcy cut her eyes at him. “Don’t you dare.” She hissed. “I will…”

“Momma?” Annorah’s sleepy voice cut through Darcy’s rant.

“Sorry honey. Let’s get you back to sleep.” Darcy and Loki crept into the little girl’s room. Darcy laid her down and reclined on the bed beside her. Loki took his usual place, sitting on the other side of his little girl. Darcy began to hum as she stroked Annorah’s dark hair.

There was a look of excitement on Loki’s face, he could hardly wait to tell Annorah, but Darcy shook her head and frowned. Without a word, her thoughts were clear. The news would have to wait till morning. It was well after the five-year-olds bedtime, and sharing the news right now would cause too much excitement and their daughter would not be able to fall back asleep.

Loki and Darcy continued this silent battle of wills as Annorah lay between them.

Annorah looked up at her parents. At only five years old, it was difficult for her to understand why they bickered so much. In her youthful eyes, love meant always getting along. At least that’s what it seemed like. After all, she was constantly told not to fight with her four-year-old cousin, Magnus. She reached out and took one of her mother’s hands and one of her father’s. She looked up at Darcy as she joined their hands.

“Momma, you said I’m not ‘aposed to fight with Magni, cause I love him.” She gave her mother a mockery of the stern look she was normally on the receiving end of. “If you love Daddy, you not ‘aposed to fight with him.”

Darcy squeezed Loki’s hand affectionately and smiled. “You’re right sweetheart I’m not supposed to fight with Daddy. Sometimes even grown-ups forget that.”

Loki slid a bit further down on the bed, laying his head beside his daughter’s. “How did you get so smart, little one?”

“Momma always says my smart mouth came from you, Daddy.” The little girl said with a sleepy yawn. Loki looked at Darcy who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

“Is that right?”Loki quirked an eyebrow at Darcy. Annorah nodded as she yawned again.

Darcy’s shoulders shook as she laughed silently. Her head tipped back and she lost her balance, falling to the floor beside the bed. Where she promptly lost her composure and began outright guffawing.

When she fell, Loki carefully leaned over Annorah, his face a mask of concern.

Struggling to find her self-control again, Darcy managed to gasp out between laughs, “It’s alright, I landed on my butt!” Loki rolled his eyes and lay back beside Annorah.

Still giggling, Darcy managed to pull herself up and leaned over to plant a light kiss on Annorah’s forehead. “I think I’m going to out in the hall for a moment and I’ll let Daddy sing you to sleep, okay Nora?”

Annorah nodded sleepily and cuddled closer to her daddy. Darcy smiled at the image of the god of mischief curled around his little girl. She pulled the door shut as she continued to chuckle. She leaned against the wall next to the door, and as she calmed she could hear Loki’s voice singing softly. Her eyes drifted shut and she breathed a contented sigh. He was chaos, but it was always beautiful chaos.

“So I take you received good news from Eir?”

Darcy gasped;Frigga’s soft question startled her. She smiled ruefully and nodded. “Yeah. Well kinda, but I think I’ll wait until he comes out here to give you all the details.”

They waited in companionable silence, listening to Loki sing a lullaby. A few minutes later, he opened the door and crept out on silent feet.

He smiled at his mother and placed a light kiss on the cheek. “So has Darcy told you the good news yet?” Frigga shook her head, as Darcy grimaced.

“I take it you do not share Loki’s opinion that the news is good.” Frigga’s eyebrow rose.

Darcy sighed. “It’s not bad, I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed by it at the moment.”

“Well gracious child, just tell me already.” Frigga chuckled.

“Twin boys, due on April Fool’s Day.”

Frigga beamed, “Oh my dear that is wonderful news!” she faltered at the slightly panicked look on Darcy’s face. “Carrying two will not be too much more difficult than carrying one. And as to after, you will have plenty of help my dear.” Frigga smiled patiently.

Darcy sighed. How could she explain this awkward feeling, this sense of imminent mischievousness, to two Asgardians who had never even heard of Harry Potter? Twin boys, due on April Fool’s Day, and their father was the god of chaos and lies?

She was going to need A LOT of help indeed to keep this Mischief Managed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“They eloped! Are you fucking kidding me?” Tony sat heavily on his couch.

Loki stood with his back mostly to them, but Tony could still see the smirk on the god’s face.

“They just wanted a tiny ceremony. Just the two of them and some family. God, Tony if you’d have just listened to Kara three weeks ago maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” Darcy sat beside him wringing her hands.

“Hey, missy.” Tony shook his finger at Darcy. “You know this had to have been all Nari’s fault.” Tony sighed. “Who am I kidding, she’s my spawn, nobody could ever convince Kara to do anything she didn’t want to do.” Tony slumped back against the couch, he looked defeated.

It had been almost thirty years since Loki and Darcy had disappeared from his tower. So much had happened since that day so long ago…

Thor and Jane popped out a couple of kids, a son, and a daughter. Tony and Pepper finally got married and had Kara. JARVIS got a nasty virus and tried to take over the world; that had really sucked. Loki had come back and worked with the Avengers for a while. Bruce had worked tirelessly on a cure for himself, and came up with one, but not before accidently passing on his Hulk powers via blood transfusion to his cousin, Jennifer Walters. Clint had died in an explosion about twenty-five years ago and Steve and Natasha had gotten together a few years later and had a son shortly after that. Darcy and Loki had three kids, a daughter and twin sons, Nari and Vali. About fifteen years ago, some big threats had hit earth and after they finally passed, everyone had moved back into the tower. Their kids had grown up together, gone to school together, so truly it was to no one’s surprise that a few of them dated.

He looked over at Darcy; she sat beside him, fretting over their children’s decision same as him. Tony ran a hand through his mostly gray hair. Jane and Darcy got apples of immortality; Steve had super serum, and whatever they did to Natasha in the red room kept her from aging. God, Tony sighed, it made him feel freaking old. Tony and Bruce were the only ones that looked older.

“Kara’s gonna get one of those magic apples right?” Tony narrowed his eyes, he didn’t get to walk his baby girl down the aisle but he was going to make sure that if she had to marry an Asgardian prince she damn well better reap the benefits.

Darcy sighed, “Yeah, since the Odin’s passed the throne onto Thor, I sure he’ll take care of it soon. If Odin were still awake there may have been some debate, but he’s in the Odin-sleep right now so Thor has free reign.”

Tony huffed beside her.

“Hey, I know your little girl just eloped but you’re not the only one affected here. I got left out of my son’s wedding too.” Darcy elbowed Tony in the side.

“Hey, be easy on me I’m an old man,” Tony grumbled.

“And who would give you a hard time if I didn’t?” Darcy grinned.

Loki appeared, leaning over the back of the couch. He was right between them. “Do not worry Stark, if Darcy falters in being a pain in your backside, I will take up the mantle.”

Tony scowled. “Oh, how kind of you Reindeer Games, but I told you before I don’t swing that way. Besides in another twenty years or so and I won’t around for you to bug.”

“Ahh, but you see that would be where you would be wrong. Since Darcy’s only blood family died in that tragic accident so many years ago, she had only one request of the current King of Asgard. That he would grant her pseudo big brother an apple.” Loki twisted his hand and a golden apple appeared.

“Seriously?” Tony’s eyes were wide with excitement.

“Yep.” Darcy grinned.

“Oh hell yeah!” He took the apple and lifted it like a toast. “To a long and happy life!”

Notes

Oh my gosh... I've completed it... I'm still in shock.

I actually finished this a few day ago but I couldn't bring myself to post it. I don't want to be done with this story because I love tasertricks so much but I know this story is finished. I may make it into a series with a few little one-shots to fill in some places and use a few scenes that were in my head but didn't really fit in the flow of the story.

If anyone has any suggestions or requests for one-shots or if you see any unanswered questions, or plot holes, just leave it in the reviews.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all, for the wonderful ride! Love You Bunches!!!!