Seasnake: Now there be characters from mythology, kinda.

Pregnant Natasha was an interesting creature. For the first half of the pregnancy she completely ignored the issue, would barely even hold a conversation about it. The second half, though, her stomach started to swell considerably and she turned moody, lethargic, and demanding. She complained about her aches and pains for sympathy and used her belly as an excuse to get away with anything she wanted, mostly to boss her husband about. As she said, "I'm growing your baby, them least you can do is give me a god-damned foot rub." Natasha wasn't thrilled with being pregnant and let everybody know what a chore she was going through for their benefit.

Loki could privately admit that he found her behavior endearing on a short term basis. She made servants cry and demanded Earth foods that nobody had ever heard of before. Loki ended up paying a Midgardian private chief to make obscure Russian dishes for her.

The royal couple has to make some public appearances so commoners can coo over the coming child. Natasha especially gets attention from Midgard. Apparently, Migardians started a betting pool about whether it would be a boy or a girl.

Only in the last month, when Natasha could no longer ignore it and was in a better mood did they discuss future plans. She lay sprawled on the bed while Loki rested his ear against her stomach to listen to the tiny heart beat, something he had found he greatly enjoyed doing.

"I want at least one of each," Natasha spoke up.

"Hm?"

"A boy and a girl. Kids who don't have siblings of the other sex believe in cuties." Loki wasn't sure what she was talking about but didn't want to miss out on a chance to have this important conversation.

"How many do you want?"

"I don't know, depends on how much of a pain this one is going to be. But I want them to either be close in age or far apart. One to three years apart or eight to fifteen years apart."

"Close together would be better. Would you mind being pregnant again, right after this one is born?" A good thing to ask considering she was running everyone ragged on the first child.

"I'd prefer to get it done with. As soon as my body resets after this one we're going again," she said with conviction. Loki smiled only to get a light smack on his head. "And we're going now, roll over."

Natasha took childbirth with the grace of someone who has suffered worse. She opted for pain dulling medication and gave permission for a cesarean at the first sign of trouble. In the end Loki had a bruised arm, from where he let Natasha hit and grab at him; a loopy, significantly out of it wife; and a baby boy.

When the baby had been given a clean bill of health and Natasha was awake enough to hold him, the began yet another installment of choosing-baby-names, in which Thor, the Warriors Three, and Clint Barton were no longer allowed to take part.

"Why would we name him 'mire-dweller'?" Natasha frowned at Loki's first choice.

"It means he is a strong survivor, feels at home in a dark environment, and can ambush people or swallow them like the wetland," Loki argues for the Asgardian name.

"Alright," Natasha concedes, "Fenrir Ivan Lokison, it is." She slightly bounces the sleeping child in her arms.

Little Fenrir was six days old when trouble first appeared. For once it wasn't Thor's fault. The new uncle had already held and carried on a one-sided conversation with the newborn without incident. No, the first real parental challenge came in the form of one of the royal seers. Loki held the baby while the official preformed a traditional ceremony to welcome the new royal into the world. Natasha stood next to her husband looking unimpressed.

At the end of the presentation, the man suddenly paused "My Lords, I see something."

"What?" Natasha and everyone else looked up.

"I see a dark future for this boy and his siblings. A prophecy…" Loki's gut response was to hold his son tighter with fear, having grown up in Asgard such warnings were worrisome.

"Quiet!" Natasha apparently had no similar qualms and suddenly interrupted. "You will not speak about my son that way."

"Madam, the future tells me…"

"Bullshit!" Natasha stalked menacingly into his space, glaring up at him with her killer eyes. "You say your nonsense. You tell everyone that he will be cruel which makes everyone scared. He will definitely become evil if we treat him as if he has no choice. I will not have your self-fulfilling nonsense in my mind while I raise my son." The man did not look sufficiently terrified so Natasha continued. "If you say a single word you will be endangering my son. And as per your custom I have a sacred mother's right to kill anyone who endangers my child." She grabbed the man's shirt and whispered into his ear, no doubt horrid things about how she would hang him with his own entrails if he ever spoke about her son again. Loki purposely stood off to the side and watched with pride.

"Look at your mother using her talents, Fenrir," he tilted the baby so he could see Natasha and the now properly gray faced ceremony official.

"We will raise him and he will be whoever he damn well chooses to be," Natasha declared after her victim scurried away.

Loki ended up doing most of the child care, especially the midnight child care. As it turned out Natasha had a much higher tolerance for sleeping through the cries of her offspring than Loki did. She still doted on baby Fenrir but when it came time to change his dipper he usually got handed off to the prince or a servant. Of course, that habit only got worse when she became pregnant again. She stuffed cotton in her ears so she could get a full night's sleep for the new baby, leaving Loki to tend to Fenrir.

For her second pregnancy Natasha ignored it for the first third, alternated between complaining and ignoring the second third, and pampered for the final third. Loki didn't mind indulging her, as long as she held Fenrir while he waited on her.

For their coming second child, Natasha insisted on a Midgardian name so Loki insisted that the child be named after her. After all she had two real names, she could share one with the baby.

When the boy was born, the agreed on a modified version of one of her names, Natalar. Natasha said it wasn't exactly Midgardian but it suited the baby. Fenrir was only 13 months old but didn't seem distressed by the arrival of a new little brother.

Natalar got introduced to his uncle and Thor's woman, Jane. On one of his recent trips to and from Asgard Thor happened across a Midgardian scientist studying the Bifrost. Jane was a simple and dedicated woman of science. She cared for Thor but was uneasy with fame. Their relationship was kept quiet for her benefit. Thor was smitten and would happily be married immediately but Jane insisted on a long courtship, 'dating'. Whether or not she would eventually became his sister-in-law, Jane put up with Thor's nonsense and helped cool his hot temper so Loki welcomed her. Jane was also good with Fenrir and Natalar so Natasha voiced no complaints with the woman.

Natasha announced her third pregnancy only two months after Natalar's birth. She credited Asgardian medicine for her fertility, although in private she jokingly credited her and her husband's active and enthusiastic bedroom life.

With two babies to care for, Natasha and Loki barely spared a thought to her pregnancy. Natasha let Loki focus mostly on the two living children and forced servants to spoil her while she grew the third. When both boys cried, Loki worried that three children might be too many. But then the Queen Mother (who is thrilled to be a grandmother), Thor, a servant, or one of their friends would step in to help and Loki couldn't wait for the next one to arrive. Natasha's friends and acquaintances continued to visit. Clint Barton, especially, enjoyed playing with the boys and making them giggle and scream.

The royal family suffered a scare when the third baby arrived prematurely. In an emergency session Natasha delivered a tiny baby girl. It was a tense few hours before the medics declared the girl underweight but otherwise healthy. It was the most intense sense of relief Loki had ever felt when he could finally hold the small bundle close.

The little girl got her name after a discussion half the length of what her brother's had. Loki suggested the name Hella and Natasha agreed that she liked the sound of it.

"I'm done," Natasha declared as she held the sleeping girl. "We have a girl now. That's it." She looked to Loki as if she expected him to argue but he didn't. Three children from him and Natasha would cause enough trouble. Anymore and they would all be run ragged.

Two year old Fenrir Ivan Lokison is large for his age and can say Mama, Papa, and No. He has grown thick black hair that he does not like anyone to cut and the pale eyes of his mother. He worries the Asgardians slightly because he already shows a love for snow and ice. Natasha is unconcerned and encourages the habit despite Loki's discomfort.

Natalar Romanova Lokison just makes gurgling noises. He is in no hurry to learn to walk and is content to crawl and roll everywhere. However, his ability to hide and get into places he isn't supposed to be hints at a budding intellect. His eyes are blue but are starting to turn green and his wispy, fine hair is light brown but his father hopes it will grow red like his namesake's.

Hella Loptr Daughter of Loki is only ten months younger than Natalar. She was born with a head of black hair and gray eyes. She's a quiet, calm baby that likes to stare at people or any living thing that moves, especially her brothers. Loki expects her to be talented at magic later in life.

"Are you happy, Loki?" Natasha asks. She picks up toys from the floor while Loki sits nearby. He has Hella in one arm, Natalar in the other, and bounces Fenrir on his knee. Fatherhood looks good on him, the dignity of a prince remains in his posture even when covered with children. "Your perfect life has flaws with me about, would you prefer we never married?"

"Wife, don't mock me. And feed Hella, she's chewing her fingers again."

Seasnake: And Loki's children don't become evil because Black Widow gives destiny the middle finger.