With the passage of time comes change, as budding romance blooms into love.

Jane Foster adds 'Odinson' to her name on a warm summer evening on a mountaintop, the stars at her back. Loki had been hesitant on the name change, but Jane would not be moved. She wanted his name. It showed him that what they had was real. Otherwise, she might spend years waking up in the dead of night to find him up, musing on what a beautiful dream his life has become.

From love soon comes the gift of life. Jane and Loki experience that gift threefold on the eve of spring, a year after their marriage. It's a day they- and the unfortunate Midgardian hospital staff attending the pregnant woman- will never forget.

Jane barely reacts when her daughter is born disfigured. She's too busy with the girl's younger brothers. By the time they are clean and in her arms, it doesn't mean a thing to her. The half of her baby's face that's scarred is no less beautiful than the half that's pink.

It's when her first son grows a snout and develops hair all over his body, and her second son opens his eyes to reveal those of a snake that things get a little weird.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised given their hybrid nature and your own history with transformations," Loki says, nonchalantly stepping over the unconscious body of the attending physician. "That said, I am highly unsatisfied with the amount of professionalism among the nurses at this facility. As if trying to throw my sons to the ground wasn't enough of an offense, now they go running around the ward disturbing people with their screams? Disgraceful."

"Well, to be fair," says Jane, "I don't think this is something they see very often."

"Which is why we should have gone to Asgard for the delivery."

"Seriously? You've been too paranoid to let me get the mail, and now you're telling me you would have taken me to another realm on the Bifrost?"

"There are other ways to travel, as you should know."

"And they're all just like the Bifrost."

She leaves off there as Loki busies himself with shutting and bolting the door to keep out the sounds of mad nurses babbling about demon children and Thor in the waiting room threatening to smite them for vilifying his niece and nephews.

Jane brushes the matted fur on her oldest son's head. The younger has completed his transformation into a snake and rests on her chest, tongue flicking lightly. Her daughter sleeps peacefully in her other arm, while the little wolf-boy studies her with childish awe.

Loki hums. "I suppose we'll have to do something about this until they're old enough to control the transformations."

"Can we keep them looking human in the mean time?" Jane asks, letting her wolfish son suckle on her finger.

"Undoubtedly," Loki says from the door. "If you prefer it, I could lock them in human form until they're older."

"Not if it'll hurt them," Jane says. "I'm mostly just worried about how everyone else will react. I don't think we need anymore media attention."

Loki grins. "For certain."

He sits on the edge of the bed, moving slowly to lay beside her. Their youngest is in the process of transitioning back into human form; Loki guides him along in regrowing his limbs and hair. As a human, he has Jane's eyes.

"They're so beautiful," Jane whispers, tears welling up.

She hands Loki their daughter. The motion rouses her and she casts mismatched eyes- one green, the other solid white- around the room. They settle on him and fall closed seconds later. Loki pushes aside a single strand of black hair between her eyes. He looks at his boys, they've joined their older sister in slumber. Such tiny beings that he helped create, and not a hint of magic was needed.

"Yes they are."

Him and Jane lean their heads together, their new family huddled in the ultimate portrait of familial bliss- fur, scales, scars, traumatized nurses and all- and Loki can honestly say there isn't a man in all the nine realms and beyond who is as happy as he is.

THE END

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who has read and commented on this story. I'm glad I was able to finish it, even if it took five months to do it. I will admit, I'm sad to see it end. It's funny to think I won't be coming back to this thread to add a new update anymore. *sigh...*

Anyway, I've had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you've had fun reading it.

And in case anyone is wondering, Loki names the rabbit Aksel, because Jane didn't have any ideas other than Peter, and it's to Loki's understanding that Peter is the least original name you could give a rabbit.

Goodnight, everybody!