A/N: This is short story about Loki's relationship with his daughter Tessa and her mother. The character is taken from the comics, where Loki seeks Spider-man's help when Tessa is possessed. Not a whole lot of backstory is given, so I thought I would fill in the details in the Marvel movieverse setting.

Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Marvel.

Tessa

The girl slept peacefully in her crib, unaware that a man stood above her, watching. As she sighed softly, he reached down and stroked her cheek gently with the side of his hand. He marvelled at the creation before him: not that he didn't have other children. In fact, he had fathered many throughout the centuries. But he hadn't truly cared for the others' mothers quite as much as he had this one's.

The woman in question lay in a deep slumber to his left, blankets strewn about her. He could tell how exhausted she was; she hadn't put her hair in those cylinders she used to acquire the desired style of this particular decade. The bigger the hair, the smaller the waist, he had heard her say once. Black mascara caked her eyes as well, and she hadn't removed any of her pieces of jewellery. Most unlike her.

She was so beautiful. Rich brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a figure that made many a woman glare at her angrily. But the thing that had attracted him most to her was her brain. Her cleverness, rather. She could see through bullshit, as she called it, remarkably. It had been hard to fool her.

But he had. And then he left, as he had to. Their time together always had an endpoint. It would never last forever. What he hadn't expected was that she would keep the baby. He had taken her for the sort that would elect to rid herself of such inconvenience, but she hadn't. He had been annoyed, nervous at first, but now that the baby girl lay before him, his heart melted.

He remembered the first time he had seen her. He had ventured into a club, an establishment that apparently served to get its solicitors horribly drunk and dance around to strange electronic music called electronic, techno, acid house, and other odd names. He had seen her in the middle of the room, shaking her hips and laughing with a group of her female companions. She had spied him, and held out a hand, beckoning him to come to her, eyes provocatively covered in a black substance that made him think instantly of…well.

She had tossed her hair back and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving back and forth to the beat of the music. At one point, she threw back her head and shouted the lyrics of the song: "Finally, it's happened to me, right in front of my face and I just cannot hide it!" Then she had grabbed his head and launched in for a deep, long kiss.

They had had such fun. She was always a bit wary of him; she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, but that hadn't stopped her from seeing him. She dragged him to so many of these clubs in the two and half weeks he was on Midgard that he even got used to the sound of the music. On their last night together, he noticed she had forgone drinking and using the leaf they called pot before they had gone out, and had danced with him in a much more subdued fashion. He asked her if there was something amiss, fearing one of his enemies had come to frighten her, but she said there was nothing wrong, so he had decided to drop the subject, at least for the time being.

He had stepped outside to get some fresh air-as fresh as Midgardian air could be-and breathed in deeply, highly anticipating the later hours of the night, which he was certain would be spent in her bed and in her arms. Suddenly, there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see his brother Thor standing there in the alleyway.

"Brother, father says your return is long past due," he said with a sarcastic smile. "I know you're having your fun, but you must return with me."

He had nearly strangled his oaf of a brother right then and there.

He knew there was no stopping it. He had to go. But just then, she had come out, looking for him. He had introduced Thor as an old acquaintance that needed his assistance, urgent assistance, that he had to attend to immediately. He was sorry, but he couldn't stay. He promised to call at the earliest convenience.

And with a quick kiss, they were separated for good.

But he had kept a watchful eye on her. He had seen her during her pregnancy, how she missed her friends. How she hated him. He had even seen his child's birth. After that, it was settled. He had to go to them, even if it would be the last time. Especially if it would be the last time.

He had used his secret means of transportation to make his journey. Silent as a shadow, he had appeared in her room, exactly where he stood at present.

He focused now on his daughter. So beautiful, so fragile. I must keep her safe. His enemies were many, and attacking his little girl would be the perfect way to manipulate him. He would do anything to protect her, he knew, and that was a weakness he could not afford.

Gently, he lifted her into his arms. She stirred slightly, and her eyes opened. Brilliant green eyes. He could have wept at the sight.

She didn't cry, make so much as a hiccup, but merely gazed up at him. And smiled.

He smiled back. "Oh, my clever little girl. My Tessa." His hands shone a faint green. "Your abilities are bound, and now you are safe." He raised her up and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Tessa. Never forget that I do so love you." He placed her back in her crib ever so carefully. "I must go now, my love. But should you ever have need of my help, never fear. I shall be there, and I shall strike down all that would harm you."

He stroked her head once more, and let his hand linger for a moment. "Be well," he said to both of them. "Loki is just a Bifrost journey away."