AN: I know I promised myself I wouldn't posed any more knew stories until i finished at least one of my others, but then I realized if I'm going to let my self enjoy writing these kind of stories i may as well embrace the horde of Plot bunnies and ADD squirrels. Enjoy the story and throw a review log on my writer's fire if you will.

Chapter 1

A lithe woman stood staring lost in thought at the Fire, its light making her already flame red hair seem alive. A pair of strong yet athletic arms wrapped around her middle as a face buried its self in the base of her neck. She sighed. Half in pleasure and half in frustration. She felt soft kiss trail up her neck causing her groan softly, "Don't start what you can't finish..." she mumbled.

The man's lips paused and she felt the softest of sighs caress her skin as his arms held just a little tighter. She could almost feel him thinking. "It's just my preparation for my brother's coronation…" he muttered. He placed another soft kiss on her neck not wanting to let go.

He felt her stiffen in his arms and knew he may have just poked his luscious red heads temper. She turned to face him and took a half step back. His hands slid to her hips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He watched as her emerald eyes became green ice chips. "Loki…" yep he was in trouble. "He is your brother and family is important. Even if you have two at the moment. This is also important to keep up appearances if what you have said is true."

He couldn't help but smile at her logic and emotional arguments. Oh how he loved is Midgardian witch. He watched as her features started to harden and he knew he only had a moment to avoid a full verbal tear down. "Brilliant arguments as always Lily love." her face soften again and she smiled at him with understanding dancing in her emerald eyes.

She stepped in close and wrapped her arms around him. Her head resting against his shoulder. Holding her tight he couldn't help but wonder and the marvelous direction his life had taken. He had originally hadn't planned on finding love in a small mortal Midgardian. He had just wanted to escape the realm eternal for a few decades. Cause a little mischief. Then maybe after a few decades he could ask his father about what he had learned 30 years ago.

It had taken a decade just to set his plan in motion. The first few years of reintegrating his adult consciousness into a reborn body was a bit awkward. However, once that was done oh how he enjoy the mischief he could accomplish as a five year old. Then, the age of eleven happened, and he met three like-minded individuals. Two of them may not have been as enthusiastic but looking back on it having someone reign in the others was probably a good thing. Peter, Remus, and Sirius. He never imagined he would find companions who he would become so attached to on Midgard.

And then there was Lily. If he hadn't expected to make so close friends, he never expected to fall so deeply in love again. Love was for the young. Yet, she had captured his Æsir heart. Even if it had started as just an eleven year old's game. Now he would gladly spend the next century here watching his children and grandchildren grow, then to silently watch the rest of his decedents flourish hopefully. He wondered if the other immortal beings found this type of pleasure in there dalliances with mortals.

Pulling himself back into the moment the immortal paying more focused attention back on his wife. Leaning against her head he placed another soft kiss and sighed. "I shouldn't be gone more than a month Lily-love."

She quickly looked up at him, a single eyebrow quirked up in question, "Shouldn't?"

He chuckled lightly, "you should know by now the Æsir do nothing fast by Midgardian standards. Be thankful my mother didn't have a hand in our wedding. We would have been married till we were forty"

The woman in his arms frowned but chuckled a bit, "True. You better be, James, or at least call. Galactic charges be damned. And don't give your brother too hard a time." He just chuckled and held his her closer.

His smile grew as he was now out of flame haired temper range with the use of his Midgard name. He just held on to the love of his current life even though he had to let go. Even if it was just for a short while. His thoughts drifted upstairs as his body stayed in his wife's arms. To his slightly over one year old daughter. The second light of his current life. Beautiful, precocious, and smart for 15 months. He knew she would be a handful in her older years. He spared himself a moment of pity and wondered if the Norns where laughing at him yet. He was sure his daughter would be the modern Karma concept coming back to bite him. Oh well it would be worth every moment he was sure.

He sighed in mild resignation as he ran his hands threw his Short cropped dark hair. It had taken him a while to get used to it not being his long sleek locks but the short wild style had grown on him. Capturing his wife's lips for one more kiss he stepped away and smiled teasingly knowing what his kisses could do to her. "I want to say bye to Astrid." He whispered softly.

His red headed beauty groaned softly. She was frustrated and she knew he knew. Oh well, she would just have to put that Asgardian stamina to use when he got back. She chuckled as she watched him climb the stairs, who would have thought James Potter, the Norse god of mischief Loki, would be the doting father to his little princess. She wondered how he would be with a son and looked forward to trying for a second child like they had talked about.

She quietly followed him up the stairs and leaned against the door frame. She watched the simplicity of her husband bouncing and playing with their daughter. Him muttering 'Astrid, who daddy's princess'. Her little giggles. He raven hair flipping up and flopping down as James gently tossed her up and caught her. Then it happened, they both froze. Their little girl started to form sounds and try to say something. She was diffidently a precise speaker. She didn't babble like some babies. They both wondered what she would say next.

"Da-da-ddy" the little girl managed as she patted her father's cheeks. "Daddy…daddy"

He just grin wildly and spun around with his little girl, "That's right princess, Daddy." His glittering hazel eyes met her sparkling emerald eyes and gave her the biggest puppy dog eyed look, Padfoot would be proud of. She couldn't hold back her giggles any more at the look of 'please, please, tell me you heard that?' Stepping up to the two most important people in her life on hand slide through each of their dark locks. She gently touch her forehead to the other two. This was her everything. Her family.

Little Astrid patted a cheek of each of her parents, "Mommy… Daddy…." The little emerald eyed girl proudly stated. Arms hugged her and her mother tightly for a second. "Go get mommy." Her dad said as he handed her off, "well at least I don't have to worry about her saying Padfoot first anymore. Sirius will be crushed."

Hazel eyes watched each of his girls for a moment before placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. Astrid just let out her little laugh while Lily smiled happily before watching him extract himself and head for the door. "I love you both"

"We love you too." Lilly stated as two pairs of emerald eyes watched James leave and step threw one of his hidden paths. His hazel eyes turned back once more as he transition to another world wanting one more sight and not wanting to leave. Too bad he had no choice but to leave.

Loki sighed and resigned himself to several weeks of pomp as he began to undo several powerful illusions. Having removed his illusionary self that kept certain eyes off of him while on Midgard, he looked up whispered to the night sky, "Heimdall, the bi-frost, please." Quickly he was engulfed in a rainbow of light and appeared in the gate house to the realm eternal. "Thank you Heimdall." He calmly stated.

"You are welcome, Prince Loki. Your mother has been asking after you, especially since the request of your presence was issued a month ago." Heimdall's rich voice rolled over Loki's ears and he couldn't help but chuckle. The returned immortal translated it into Frigga had been badgering Heimdall. "And how does your research into magic go, my prince?" Loki noted the tone of genuine curiosity and decided to tell him at least partial truths.

"It has gone well so far. I'm finding it very interesting how the mortal races have either copied our magic or in some cases have Æsir ancestry. It started with simple rituals in most cases and as more and more magic built up in sites it slowly transferred to mortals..." Loki had been doing studies and it was fascinating. Just not as fascinating as his wife, daughter and friends. Loki continued to ramble on for a few minutes as horses came to the gate house and he shook himself from his musing, "I could easily study this for another century. Again thank you Heimdall."

Heimdall just chuckled as he turn back to his watch, "Then you can explain your next absence to your mother, my prince."

He quickly took in the realm eternal's beauty, and he sighed enjoying every sight, sound, and smell. An older part of him had missed it. The stronger pull was to the beauty of his little girl and the soft lips of his wife. He briefly wondered if his girls would ever lay their eyes on the realm of Asgard.

He rode passed a few small gardens and the main market. He'd have to do some shopping for his girls but turned away for now. As the main gate to the palace came into view he saw two bored looking guards and decided to play a small prank. Quickly illusioning himself into an old man in worn but quality farmers garb with a beard to rival Dumbledore and his magnificent horse into a donkey he approached the guards.

He slowly dismounted as if sore and weary, offered a polite bow, and in a quavering voice, "I have been summoned by the queen." He stated plainly. He wondered what the guards would do and how much he was going to get to play into his role.

One of the guards scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, "What would the queen want a broken old man like yourself for. I doubt you could even lift a sword any more. The other slightly taller guard looked sideways at his companion raising a single eyebrow. The dismissive one didn't even notice.

"I have a summons here." He quavered again as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mother's letter. So far aside from his appearance everything had been perfectly true. Which was the key to any good acted prank, mostly truth which just a hint of falsehoods. Loki held up his letter and was ready to go for several more minutes.

The guard then did something monumentally stupid for a guard of the magical realm eternal. The shorter and now obviously to dim to be a palace guard grab Loki's farmer garb and got in his face attempting a low dangerous tone, "I said be gone you weak old man."

If growing up his father's son had taught him anything it was idiots rarely deserved a second chance but for diplomacy you should try any way. Loki calmly stated, "You should let go and apologize, you never know who..." Short and dumb as he became known in Loki mind scoffed and rolled his eyes. The masquerading demi-god seethed on the inside. You did not disrespect Loki Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard, and marauder of Hogwarts. Letting his illusion fall and his voice reach a dangerous low tone he finished his statement, "someone may be."

The guard now looked up at Loki as opposed to down at an old man. Loki's hazel eyes bore in to the man's pale green ones. Shorty now realized two things that might mean his eminent demise. He had his prince's tunic wrapped in his fist and he could feel one of the deadly daggers the prince always carried pressed in to a leather joint of his armor. He was too afraid to even move.

"Loki! My Son!" A sweet melodic voice suddenly cried out behind him. Quick as a breeze the prince's scowl disappeared, he took a half step back and the dagger vanished. "Mother!" The pale guard was shaking and the prince quickly stepped around him and greeted his mother vanishing in to the palace.

His taller and much calmer compatriot leaned over and calmly stated, "You know you will be lucky if they throw you naked in a bildgesnipe pen." He just gulped and went paler.

Loki had no intention of saying anything more than a word to the captain of the guard to stress the value of diplomacy and subtlety. Loki was not known as the Dark Prince of Asgard for nothing. Ultimately he thought it would be a better punishment for the guard to wonder and make up his own worst case in his own mind. However, he would certainly keep an eye on him. His mother's timing had been perfect for this particular idea of vengeance.

Loki and Frigga walked through the halls and talked of mindless things until they reached the private royal quarters. There they had a similar conversation to the one he had with Hiemdall. His more gave him the tiniest of smiles. He wondered if she had figured out he had fallen for a mortal. Oh well, he would cross that bi-frost path when he came to it.

As their conversation reached the end and Frigga was taking her leave she said, "There will be a feast in honor of your return tonight." Loki felt his draw drop open. Why had they called him back early. He could have spent more time with his little princess or with his with working towards their little prince. They last month had been very enjoyable in that regard. Then she went and twisted the knife even more. "Your brother should be back tomorrow."

Thor wasn't even here, it was his bloody coronation. Loki stammered, "Should? Mother! My research. Why?" Loki hadn't been this lost for words in a millennia at least.

"Now now Loki, indulge your mother, I knew if I didn't get you back now you would at best make every one rush in the last year and at worst avoid it entirely. Don't think I don't know about the real reason for this mortal magic research of yours." Loki was worried now. How had his mother found out that he knew? He had been alone when he was exploring the secret passages between realms. No one else knew he had come across a frost giant has he had stepped through a portal as he was exploring. Nor had he told anyone what he had learned that day. Then Frigga spoke again, "you thought if you started early you could avoid your brother's coronation."

Loki's mind ground to a halt. She didn't know he knew. He didn't care if his parents figured out he knew. He came to the realization family didn't mean blood when growing up with the Potters. However, he had to protect Lily and Astrid. And that meant for now knowledge of them needed to be kept away from Asgard. Lily wasn't sure if she wanted the life of a near immortal being and both of them wanted to give little Astrid a chance at a normal Midgardian life first.

By the time his brain had reengaged His mother was gone and he was stuck preparing for a feast he really would rather not attend. He was left with no choice though.

The feast was just as boring as he thought it would be. Some of the younger court ladies tried to flirt coyly with him. Some of the more adventurous warriors tried to press him. None of them knew he was happily married and would remain faithful to his chosen till the Valkyries claimed one of them. The return of his Brother was a loud and boisterous affair. Made more so by the latest victory of him, the Warriors Three, and Lady Sif. He put up with all of it as much as he could. He could only last so long without pulling some pranks. Sirius would be most perturbed with him if he didn't. Easy quick color changes of garments was fun for a while. But the constant color skims simple reminded him of home. Why did he pick Hogwarts house color schemes again? And when did he start thinking of earth as home.

After a month he was still not done with his mother's preparations. He sat down one night and wrote a long letter to his lily-love. By the end it was several feet. He conjured an ethereal raven to take the letter to his wife. He would have used a real Asgard Raven but while he could open a portal for the bird on this end there was no way to open one back. At least he hadn't found it yet. He would just have to survive with the knowledge that his lady love and sweet little princess would know what he was up to and that he would see them again soon.

Loki had sent two more letters. After being curtailed in every attempt to leave by his mother and father and even surprisingly his Brother, he had started to write one every week. At worst every two weeks. Loki was walking the halls with a small smile on his face as he remember his last time with his wife and daughter.

Suddenly his back received a large thump that nearly staggered him. Followed shortly by a shout of, "Brother!"

"The ever irrepressible Thor," Loki deadpanned with a slight roll of his eyes. "What brings you inside today, oh brother mine."

"You have been wondering the halls too much. You will go grey like father. Come, a Game would do you good or, as ever, I'm sure we could go save some village from a rampaging Troll." The god of thunder grinned at what he thought was a brilliant idea.

"Thor, I am in no mood for games or your heroic antics, today. I have a lot on my mind." Loki lied smoothly. He didn't, he only had two things on his mind. It had been seven weeks. What should have been a simple fitting of his ceremonial robes had turned into an endless parade of feasts games, and Asgardian heroics. Loki had left his family three days before Halloween. It was now a week before Christmas. Norns be damned, he would not his Christmas.

"Brother, "Loki glanced over at him and let some warmth creep back into his voice, he did enjoy his brother normally. Just not when his heart was aching to hold his little princess again or to pull is Lily love tight against and feel her supple body pressed into his. "Your coronation isn't for another decade. There will be plenty of time to revel then. I just..." Here Loki let some of his honest tiredness show threw. "The realm eternal is just too eternal for me right now. I want to get back to my project among the mortals."

Thor for all his muscle bound intelligence sometimes did have his moments of pure brilliance. Usually they were on the battlefield. This time he saw the truth in his brother. Thor laid a gentle hand on his brother's dark clad shoulder. "Loki, My brother, go to her. We will be here when you return with or without your lady fair. I will run interference with mother for you." The god of thunder gave his brother another gregarious smile.

"Ho…How?" was all Loki managed to stutter out.

"I am your brother, Dear Loki." With that Thor wondered off, hands behind his back, and humming happily to his self. It wasn't often he was able to get one over on his mischievous brother. Which made it all the sweeter when he did. Now to challenge Volstagg to a drinking contest to distract their mother.

The Dark prince just stood there for a moment before he pulled himself back together. Rapidly starting to make plans, he would take the rest of the day to shop for his girls. Then tomorrow morning he would make his excuses and depart. The seamstress had more than enough to work with at this point.

In the end, he left the morning after instead of the night before. He had spent a long time looking for something for Astrid. He had finally found the most adorable plush Pegasus. The wings folded realistically, pure white, and flowing main. He had found a gorgeous green dress that matched lily's eyes as well as a set of Asgardian emeralds to match.

His portal placed him on the outskirts of the little village they lived in, Godric's hollow. Quickly waving his hand over his Green and gold out fit to turn it into something more Muggle appropriate. He would have to get used to using his wand again and what would Sirius think seeing him in almost Slytherin colors. He chuckled to himself as he enjoyed the early morning sunshine and his short walk home.

He noted the new stature in the town square, but didn't stop to investigate. Another short block and he would be home. Once again wrapped in the love that was his girls. His lady love may blister his ears as red as her hair for being gone so long but after words that passion would be put to other uses. He grinned at the thought. He would never admit it but his may have skipped a few steps. Merlin knew, Padfoot would never let him hear the end of it if he did.

Then he saw it, His home. As he placed a hand on the gate to open it an illusion collapse and Loki's heart stopped. Part of the room was missing, the door was ripped off, and all the windows where blown out. He read the small plaque in horror.

On this site the Potters gave their lives

To stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The Dark Lord unable to kill the youngest Potter

This place stands in memory to

The Potters and

The-Girl-Who-Lived.

James looked around the broken house. He was numb to his core. He managed a shaky wave of his hand, and for the first time in centuries having to verbally call up a scanning spell. His homunculus had fought bravely but was no match for Voldemort. The living room was a mess of a battle scene. He crept up the stairs slowly each foot step more painful than the last. Slowly making his way to his and Lily's Bedroom he checked the magical box where all his letters were delivered. Every one of them was still there. His lily flower had never known: how much he loved her, his stupid poems he had written to her, or the pranks he had played on the Æsir Court. None of it had been seen by those passionate emerald orbs. He gathered up the letters, not sure why, but something compelled him too.

Turning slowly he placed one foot in front of the other. He had to know, he had to see is daughter's room. He could see the door barely hanging on by its lower hinge. The top blasted off. He could make out part of the painted crown and the word Princess. The same feeling overcame him and with a jerky wave he shrunk and picked up the now tiny door. He hadn't yet looked into the room its self. The tears had yet to fall, but He knew they would the second he looked.

Gathering up the tattered shreds of his Gryffindor courage, he started to turn, as he placed one foot on the threshold he looked up. The man who was as a god broke as he never had in all his long millennia. Slowly sinking to his knees he observed the destruction that was his little princess' room. The roof was even more damaged than he saw from the outside. Slats where ripped off from the crib that was in the center of the room. The walls held scorch marks all around.

The sign said he little girl had lived but how could she have lived, or in what state was she now. James Clutched the Pegasus he had been holding since he had arrived outside the small town. He couldn't wait to give it to his little girl. Tears began to run down his cheeks and he openly wept for his lost love and daughter. Missed birthdays, Christmases, and even a missed little sibling. He wept for the loss of his first love.

After several minutes of mourning his destroyed home and life, a spark of hope pulled him back from the brink. Padfoot would have Astrid. He had to find Padfoot. Astrid was all he had now, and she was all he had now. Padfoot would know. He had to find Sirius.