16 August 2020 - Favorite Off-World Babysitters
Title: Favorite Off-World Babysitters
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Avengers
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Word Count: 2247
WARNING: Kidfic!!! Include Mini!Buffy, Mini!Willow and Mini!Xander
Notes: This idea is the one that kicked off all of the babysitter options this year, but I'm not sure I have time to work out how to do it justice, things got a bit rushed at the end due to time constraints. Please note I'm ignoring everything and anything that doesn't fit into my happy, rose-colored version of this world.
Disclaimer: The Characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The character of the Avengers belong to Marvel, etc. All are used here without permission; no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Avengers and Asgard business leaves babysitters in short supply.
Favorite Off-World Babysitters
By Beriaearwen
“An you will all behave for Thor,” Steve instructed, using his sternest face. “No asking for lightning strikes on people or in the building.”
Three little heads nodded in agreement, their faces as inscrutable just-turned-four year olds could make them. Before breaking and running to their respective parent for hugs and kisses. It wasn't the first time their parent had to go away for more than one day and they were not going to be in any really danger, but it was still not easy sending their parents off into the big world or being left behind.
With a flurry of action the trio found themselves standing with Thor looking at where their parents had been.
“Come,” Thor boomed at them. “Let us go to the recreation room and play games.”
The three small Scoobies exchanged glances before smiling and looking up at their Uncle Thor. His games were different than Uncle Tony's but just as much fun. It was also fun when he lifted all three of them at the same time.
“Carry us!” Willow demanded, holding up her arms. They all giggled when Uncle Thor laughed and picked them up, easily carrying all three of them and listening as the children chattered at each other about what they wanted to do.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Things had been going well, Thor had eventually taken the children out side to let them run around where he could watch them. It amazed him that the three children could expend enough energy to tire him, but then he frequently drew correlations between watching the children and doing battle against multiple enemies. Having to split his attention, be aware of every change in his surroundings, follow three different discussions as well as rules to games he didn't always understand and it was a challenge he enjoyed.
He also enjoyed watching them fall asleep within moments of sitting still.
He was enjoying watching Xander and Willow chase after Buffy in some game that was not the “tag” they had taught him and had rules he didn't comprehend when Heimdall contacted him.
After he heard what was going on, Thor was less than pleased. There was no other option but for him to return to Asgard immediately, but there was no one else available to watch the children. Fury and Hill were off somewhere unknown, Jane and Darcy were in England at a conference and all the others were gone.
There was no other option, he would need to bring them to Asgard with him. Perhaps his mother would watch them for him.
“Children,” he called out to them. He waited as they stopped, changed direction and ran to him.
“Yes, Uncle Thor?” Buffy asked. Willow and Xander were breathing too heavily to speak just yet.
“I have heard from Heimdall. My presence is requited on Asgard. As there is no one else to watch you, I will bring you with me. You will need to pack for several days.”
“We can grab our go bags,” Xander said proudly.
“Yeah, we're just like the Avengers now, ready to go at a moment's notice,” Willow chimed in, her smile every bit as proud as Xanders.
Noticing that Buffy didn't look as excited, Thor asked, “Do you not have a go bag, Buffy?”
Buffy crossed her arms and huffed. “Of course I do, but there isn't enough room for all the shoes I really need,” she explained.
Thor blinked momentarily and then shook his head. The ways of women, even young ones, frequently eluded him. “I see,” he said, knowing it was perfectly obvious to them that he didn't understand at all. “Let us go get your bags and return here. Heimdall will be tranporting us to Asgard shortly.”
A few minutes later the group of four were on the lawn. Each of the children had on a backpack and Thor was holding them all securely.
There was a bright flash of light and before their minds could process what was going on, the children found themselves in another room looking at a man who they assumed was Heimdall.
“I have alerted the Queen to the presence of the young ones. She will be waiting in the receiving room with your father who was also curious to meet your guests,” he informed, eying the tiny trio with curiosity and a knowing smile.
“Thank you, friend. We will not keep them waiting,” Thor assured.
Turning he headed toward the castle, explaining a bit more about his mother and what was going to happen as well as a bit about the castle.
Before long they reached the castle and were directed to the receiving room where two people who were definitely older than Thor were waiting. Somewhere along the way the Scoobies had insisted on being put down and walking on their own. They moved closer to Thor and a little behind him at the sight of the strangers.
“Welcome,” the woman said, a bright smile on her face. The man standing next to her, who looked a little scary smiled as well and it was almost as nice as the woman's. “I am Frigga, Thor's mother and this is Odin, Thor's father.
The Scoobies looked at each other a little puzzled before leaning close together and whispering in voices that were almost as loud as their normal voices. The three adults exchanged amused glances.
It was Buffy who stepped forward a bit, having been chosen to be the speaker for the group. “Um. Since you are Thor's mom and dad and he's our Uncle, does that mean you are our grandparents?”
The couple exchanged amused looks and their smiles grew brighter. “We would be honored to be your grandparents,” Odin replied. He sent a very specific look at Thor which was mirrored by his wife. It was the same one they always gave him when they asked how long it would be before he presented them grandchildren.
Thor shifted uncomfortably, but felt a certain amount of relief at his parent's easy acceptance.
“Come, children,” Frigga said. “I have a room prepared for us. Let us leave the men to their work and find some fun of our own.”
The trio of children smiled brightly at their newly dubbed grandmother and ran up to hug their Uncle Thor and surprised grandfather before following.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Shortly after they arrived at the room Frigga had prepared, the trio made it obvious they needed naps. Once that was accomplished, they started asking questions about everything.
It had been a very long time since Frigga had small children to entertain and she found herself enjoying it. Their curiosity amazed her as did their energy and imaginations.
They had just finished and afternoon snack when there was a knock on the door. She called for the person to enter. Seeing who it was, she excused herself from her charges and went over to speak to the servant.
A look of irritation passed over her face before she smoothed it away. Turning toward the children, she saw that they had all stopped what they were doing and were waiting patiently with serious faces. It was something she didn't want to see, but she had to leave to deal with the issue and she needed them somewhere safe. There was only one place she could think of that had all of what she needed.
“I'm afraid I've been called away for a while,” she told the children. “There's a bit of trouble, but I'm going to bring you to Thor's brother, Loki. He is a father, through his children are grown, and he will be able to watch you and keep you safe. I shouldn't be too long. We will have dinner together when I return.” Receiving solemn nods, she smiled and offered her hands. Buffy and Willow took them with Xander taking Willow's hand. She smiled down at them and led the way.
She knew this was not going to be a popular choice with many, but she knew her sons. She knew Thor and she knew Loki. Even in his bitter, angry state, she knew her son, knew that if she asked, he would accept her request for assistance and she knew it would be good for him to be reminded of his role as a father, not just that of a second son. She longed to see the mischief in him once more and felt confident that these children could restore that.
It wasn't long before they arrived in front of Loki's cell.
Willow tugged on her hand and Frigga looked down at her. “Is he in time out?” the little redhead asked.
“Time out?” Frigga asked. She glanced up when she heard Loki snort at the question, but he approached the front of his cell trying to look disinterested and, at least to his mother, failing.
“Yeah, when we do something we're not supposed to, we get a time out,” Xander explained.
“Usually we have to sit somewhere quite away from everybody and think about what we've done and why it was bad,” Buffy clarified.
Frigga felt her lips twitch as she heard Loki's soft snort revealing bitter amusement. Looking up at her son, she raised her eyebrow and smiled. “I suppose he is,” she agreed. “But I'm asking him to make an exception to his being alone for a few hours to watch over you.”
Loki looked at the children, wanting to ignore them, but sensing something different about them, something he'd never sensed before. It might be interesting to figure out what it was, at least more interesting than staring at the walls of his cell. His mind guessed at their age and remembered his own children at that age. The amount of mischief and mayhem young children could cause was amazing. It might be interesting to see what they had to offer. “It would be my pleasure,” he responded with a bow.
Xander, fascinated by something about Loki stepped forward a bit. “So, if he is Uncle Thor's brother does that make him our Uncle Loki?”
Frigga saw the change of her son's countenance begin and cut in quickly, “He is my son, and Thor is my son, so yes, you may call him Uncle Loki.” She made sure to give a stern look to Loki and felt relieved when he settled. She nodded to the guard who lowered the force shield and stepped inot the cell with the children. “It should just be for a few hours. I will return,” she assured the children, releasing Willow and Buffy's hands.
“OK, Grandma. We'll be good,” Buffy assured, tugging on Frigga's sleeve until she bent low enough that Buffy could kiss her cheek.
Xander and Willow followed suit to Frigga's pleasure and Loki's amusement.
With one last, speaking look to her son, Frigga left and the fore shield returned to place.
“So, what are your names,” Loki asked, looking over the tiny trio and trying to figure out what it was he was feeling from them. This could be a very interesting afternoon.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
It was several hours later when Frigga returned. The four children, because she would always think of Loki as her child, were sitting toward th back of the cell talking quietly with giggles occasionally erupting from the younger three. The smile she spotted on her son's face warmed her heart and gave her hope that he wasn't completely lost to his bitterness and pain.
She hated to interrupt, but it was time for the children to eat dinner and retire.
It was heartwarming to see the love the children showed her younger son as they said goodbye to him. She would have to bring them again tomorrow if there was time. Odin had thought his mission with Thor would last at least two days. She hoped that estimate was correct.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Frigga stood by her husband and waved at the children as they left with Thor. It was as Odin had suspected, an issue that was more time consuming than dangerous or difficult. It had taken an extra day, but everyone returned unharmed, so Frigga felt it was a success.
She also smiled at the changes that time had wrought in her younger son. It had been a long time since his mischief had been expressed in harmless pranks. What amused her more was his claim that the children came up with methods to perform them as well as additions to them. It had been an interesting time.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
On Earth, the children were thrilled when they saw their parents walk into their home.
In amongst the children's chatter catching their parents up on everything the trio had experience, all of the Avengers shot a look at Thor when , from the safety of Natasha's arms, Xander said, “And did you know that Grandma and Uncle Loki are the best babysitters in Asgard?”
“Yeah, if we go there again, they both said they would be happy to watch us,” and excited Willow added, holding tightly to her mother.
Buffy nodded her head where it rested on Steve's shoulder.
“Uncle Loki?” Rhodey choked out in an odd mix of amusement and horror.
“He's a dad too,” Buffy offered. Then her face scrunched up and she looked at Steve. “If he's our Uncle because he's Uncle Thor's brother, does that mean his kids are his cousins?”
End.
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Avengers
Rating: Suitable for people over 13
Word Count: 2247
WARNING: Kidfic!!! Include Mini!Buffy, Mini!Willow and Mini!Xander
Notes: This idea is the one that kicked off all of the babysitter options this year, but I'm not sure I have time to work out how to do it justice, things got a bit rushed at the end due to time constraints. Please note I'm ignoring everything and anything that doesn't fit into my happy, rose-colored version of this world.
Disclaimer: The Characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Mutant Enemy, etc. The character of the Avengers belong to Marvel, etc. All are used here without permission; no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Avengers and Asgard business leaves babysitters in short supply.
Favorite Off-World Babysitters
By Beriaearwen
“An you will all behave for Thor,” Steve instructed, using his sternest face. “No asking for lightning strikes on people or in the building.”
Three little heads nodded in agreement, their faces as inscrutable just-turned-four year olds could make them. Before breaking and running to their respective parent for hugs and kisses. It wasn't the first time their parent had to go away for more than one day and they were not going to be in any really danger, but it was still not easy sending their parents off into the big world or being left behind.
With a flurry of action the trio found themselves standing with Thor looking at where their parents had been.
“Come,” Thor boomed at them. “Let us go to the recreation room and play games.”
The three small Scoobies exchanged glances before smiling and looking up at their Uncle Thor. His games were different than Uncle Tony's but just as much fun. It was also fun when he lifted all three of them at the same time.
“Carry us!” Willow demanded, holding up her arms. They all giggled when Uncle Thor laughed and picked them up, easily carrying all three of them and listening as the children chattered at each other about what they wanted to do.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Things had been going well, Thor had eventually taken the children out side to let them run around where he could watch them. It amazed him that the three children could expend enough energy to tire him, but then he frequently drew correlations between watching the children and doing battle against multiple enemies. Having to split his attention, be aware of every change in his surroundings, follow three different discussions as well as rules to games he didn't always understand and it was a challenge he enjoyed.
He also enjoyed watching them fall asleep within moments of sitting still.
He was enjoying watching Xander and Willow chase after Buffy in some game that was not the “tag” they had taught him and had rules he didn't comprehend when Heimdall contacted him.
After he heard what was going on, Thor was less than pleased. There was no other option but for him to return to Asgard immediately, but there was no one else available to watch the children. Fury and Hill were off somewhere unknown, Jane and Darcy were in England at a conference and all the others were gone.
There was no other option, he would need to bring them to Asgard with him. Perhaps his mother would watch them for him.
“Children,” he called out to them. He waited as they stopped, changed direction and ran to him.
“Yes, Uncle Thor?” Buffy asked. Willow and Xander were breathing too heavily to speak just yet.
“I have heard from Heimdall. My presence is requited on Asgard. As there is no one else to watch you, I will bring you with me. You will need to pack for several days.”
“We can grab our go bags,” Xander said proudly.
“Yeah, we're just like the Avengers now, ready to go at a moment's notice,” Willow chimed in, her smile every bit as proud as Xanders.
Noticing that Buffy didn't look as excited, Thor asked, “Do you not have a go bag, Buffy?”
Buffy crossed her arms and huffed. “Of course I do, but there isn't enough room for all the shoes I really need,” she explained.
Thor blinked momentarily and then shook his head. The ways of women, even young ones, frequently eluded him. “I see,” he said, knowing it was perfectly obvious to them that he didn't understand at all. “Let us go get your bags and return here. Heimdall will be tranporting us to Asgard shortly.”
A few minutes later the group of four were on the lawn. Each of the children had on a backpack and Thor was holding them all securely.
There was a bright flash of light and before their minds could process what was going on, the children found themselves in another room looking at a man who they assumed was Heimdall.
“I have alerted the Queen to the presence of the young ones. She will be waiting in the receiving room with your father who was also curious to meet your guests,” he informed, eying the tiny trio with curiosity and a knowing smile.
“Thank you, friend. We will not keep them waiting,” Thor assured.
Turning he headed toward the castle, explaining a bit more about his mother and what was going to happen as well as a bit about the castle.
Before long they reached the castle and were directed to the receiving room where two people who were definitely older than Thor were waiting. Somewhere along the way the Scoobies had insisted on being put down and walking on their own. They moved closer to Thor and a little behind him at the sight of the strangers.
“Welcome,” the woman said, a bright smile on her face. The man standing next to her, who looked a little scary smiled as well and it was almost as nice as the woman's. “I am Frigga, Thor's mother and this is Odin, Thor's father.
The Scoobies looked at each other a little puzzled before leaning close together and whispering in voices that were almost as loud as their normal voices. The three adults exchanged amused glances.
It was Buffy who stepped forward a bit, having been chosen to be the speaker for the group. “Um. Since you are Thor's mom and dad and he's our Uncle, does that mean you are our grandparents?”
The couple exchanged amused looks and their smiles grew brighter. “We would be honored to be your grandparents,” Odin replied. He sent a very specific look at Thor which was mirrored by his wife. It was the same one they always gave him when they asked how long it would be before he presented them grandchildren.
Thor shifted uncomfortably, but felt a certain amount of relief at his parent's easy acceptance.
“Come, children,” Frigga said. “I have a room prepared for us. Let us leave the men to their work and find some fun of our own.”
The trio of children smiled brightly at their newly dubbed grandmother and ran up to hug their Uncle Thor and surprised grandfather before following.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Shortly after they arrived at the room Frigga had prepared, the trio made it obvious they needed naps. Once that was accomplished, they started asking questions about everything.
It had been a very long time since Frigga had small children to entertain and she found herself enjoying it. Their curiosity amazed her as did their energy and imaginations.
They had just finished and afternoon snack when there was a knock on the door. She called for the person to enter. Seeing who it was, she excused herself from her charges and went over to speak to the servant.
A look of irritation passed over her face before she smoothed it away. Turning toward the children, she saw that they had all stopped what they were doing and were waiting patiently with serious faces. It was something she didn't want to see, but she had to leave to deal with the issue and she needed them somewhere safe. There was only one place she could think of that had all of what she needed.
“I'm afraid I've been called away for a while,” she told the children. “There's a bit of trouble, but I'm going to bring you to Thor's brother, Loki. He is a father, through his children are grown, and he will be able to watch you and keep you safe. I shouldn't be too long. We will have dinner together when I return.” Receiving solemn nods, she smiled and offered her hands. Buffy and Willow took them with Xander taking Willow's hand. She smiled down at them and led the way.
She knew this was not going to be a popular choice with many, but she knew her sons. She knew Thor and she knew Loki. Even in his bitter, angry state, she knew her son, knew that if she asked, he would accept her request for assistance and she knew it would be good for him to be reminded of his role as a father, not just that of a second son. She longed to see the mischief in him once more and felt confident that these children could restore that.
It wasn't long before they arrived in front of Loki's cell.
Willow tugged on her hand and Frigga looked down at her. “Is he in time out?” the little redhead asked.
“Time out?” Frigga asked. She glanced up when she heard Loki snort at the question, but he approached the front of his cell trying to look disinterested and, at least to his mother, failing.
“Yeah, when we do something we're not supposed to, we get a time out,” Xander explained.
“Usually we have to sit somewhere quite away from everybody and think about what we've done and why it was bad,” Buffy clarified.
Frigga felt her lips twitch as she heard Loki's soft snort revealing bitter amusement. Looking up at her son, she raised her eyebrow and smiled. “I suppose he is,” she agreed. “But I'm asking him to make an exception to his being alone for a few hours to watch over you.”
Loki looked at the children, wanting to ignore them, but sensing something different about them, something he'd never sensed before. It might be interesting to figure out what it was, at least more interesting than staring at the walls of his cell. His mind guessed at their age and remembered his own children at that age. The amount of mischief and mayhem young children could cause was amazing. It might be interesting to see what they had to offer. “It would be my pleasure,” he responded with a bow.
Xander, fascinated by something about Loki stepped forward a bit. “So, if he is Uncle Thor's brother does that make him our Uncle Loki?”
Frigga saw the change of her son's countenance begin and cut in quickly, “He is my son, and Thor is my son, so yes, you may call him Uncle Loki.” She made sure to give a stern look to Loki and felt relieved when he settled. She nodded to the guard who lowered the force shield and stepped inot the cell with the children. “It should just be for a few hours. I will return,” she assured the children, releasing Willow and Buffy's hands.
“OK, Grandma. We'll be good,” Buffy assured, tugging on Frigga's sleeve until she bent low enough that Buffy could kiss her cheek.
Xander and Willow followed suit to Frigga's pleasure and Loki's amusement.
With one last, speaking look to her son, Frigga left and the fore shield returned to place.
“So, what are your names,” Loki asked, looking over the tiny trio and trying to figure out what it was he was feeling from them. This could be a very interesting afternoon.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
It was several hours later when Frigga returned. The four children, because she would always think of Loki as her child, were sitting toward th back of the cell talking quietly with giggles occasionally erupting from the younger three. The smile she spotted on her son's face warmed her heart and gave her hope that he wasn't completely lost to his bitterness and pain.
She hated to interrupt, but it was time for the children to eat dinner and retire.
It was heartwarming to see the love the children showed her younger son as they said goodbye to him. She would have to bring them again tomorrow if there was time. Odin had thought his mission with Thor would last at least two days. She hoped that estimate was correct.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Frigga stood by her husband and waved at the children as they left with Thor. It was as Odin had suspected, an issue that was more time consuming than dangerous or difficult. It had taken an extra day, but everyone returned unharmed, so Frigga felt it was a success.
She also smiled at the changes that time had wrought in her younger son. It had been a long time since his mischief had been expressed in harmless pranks. What amused her more was his claim that the children came up with methods to perform them as well as additions to them. It had been an interesting time.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
On Earth, the children were thrilled when they saw their parents walk into their home.
In amongst the children's chatter catching their parents up on everything the trio had experience, all of the Avengers shot a look at Thor when , from the safety of Natasha's arms, Xander said, “And did you know that Grandma and Uncle Loki are the best babysitters in Asgard?”
“Yeah, if we go there again, they both said they would be happy to watch us,” and excited Willow added, holding tightly to her mother.
Buffy nodded her head where it rested on Steve's shoulder.
“Uncle Loki?” Rhodey choked out in an odd mix of amusement and horror.
“He's a dad too,” Buffy offered. Then her face scrunched up and she looked at Steve. “If he's our Uncle because he's Uncle Thor's brother, does that mean his kids are his cousins?”
End.