Chapter 2
The whole time they were outside Bea wanted nothing more than to run around and jump in the puddles left by the rain. An activity to which Thor and Jane were happy to oblige and even, on Jane’s part, join in.
“Spash spash!” Bea crowed happily, stamping her feet in the puddle beneath them.
“When you’re focussing on work all of the time you forget how much fun the simple things are.” Jane grinned, breathless from chasing after the toddler.
Thor didn’t have time to respond before Bea ran over and pulled Jane away to the next and much bigger puddle.
“’Mon ‘ane! Spash!” Bea insisted jumping into the puddle with both feet.
Jane stomped her feet in the puddle letting out a peel of laughter when Bea started giggling and jumping in the puddle more.
“Unc’ For do!”
He laughed. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”
“Oh, come on you spoil sport. Have some fun!” Jane grabbed his arm and tugged him over to the next puddle that Bea was heading towards.
This one was slightly deeper than the others, the water covering Bea’s feet up to her ankles and she delighted in the bigger splashes that came with its depth. Jane didn’t hesitate to jump into it too. Bea laughed when some of the water that splashed from Jane’s jump reached higher than she was tall.
“’Gen ‘gen!” Bea cheered, jumping in the puddle more herself.
Jane splashed more in the puddle, stamping her feet making smaller splashes this time; Pepper probably wouldn’t appreciate Bea’s pretty coat getting covered in dirty water.
“’Mon Unc’ For!” Bea grabbed Thor’s leg and tried to pull him into the puddle.
She stumbled as she moved backwards and almost ended up sat in the puddle, but Thor managed to catch her in time.
“I don’t think your parents would like it if we took you back completely soaked little one.”
“No, wet cold.”
“Yes, you would be very cold.”
“Spash?”
“Alright, splashing. I’m splashing.” Thor moved his feet in the puddle, making small splashes.
Bea pouted and frowned at him.
“What?”
“I think she wants you to do it properly, not half-arsed.” Jane smirked.
Bea nodded, still frowning. “Do better.” She pointed at his feet.
“Okay, I’ll do it better.” He chuckled, kicking his feet in the water.
“Yeah! Spash!” She clapped her approval as he set her back on her feet, and she promptly found another puddle of rainwater for them to jump in.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, why did Pepper have to specify no unscheduled trips to Asgard?”
“The last time I looked after Bea alone was when she was much younger than this; it was the time when all she really did was sleep. I was only watching over her for an hour to give her parents a little rest and I don’t think my father realised. He ordered Heimdall to bring me back to Asgard. For what reason I didn’t find out. From what I understand Heimdall tried to warn my father to wait but he insisted and I ended up taking the young one with me. We weren’t there long but I had to walk form the Bifrost to the palace to speak to my father. When I got there and my mother saw what he had done she was not best pleased, I hadn’t heard her shout that much since Loki and I were children and she wanted us to stop fighting.” Thor shook his head and smiled at the memory.
“I now see why she had to say it.” Jane nodded slightly.
“Pepper was not impressed when we got back.”
“Understandable.”
“Though somewhere in her giant closet of clothes Bea does have a dress that my mother sent from Asgard with Lady Sif and The Warriors Three the last time they visited.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but it won’t fit her properly until she’s older. My mother wasn’t sure how quickly she would grow so she thought that something that definitely wouldn’t fit her for a while was a safer idea.”
“’Ane?” Bea asked toddling towards them out of the puddle she was currently standing in.
“Yeah?”
“You si-ence like Dada?” She asked, holding out her arms to her new friend.
“Well, yes and no.” Jane answered, picking her up. “I do science but I don’t think anyone could science quite like your Daddy.” Thor forced himself to suppress a laugh. “I do a different kind of science. It’s similar though. I work in Astrophysics.”
“As-to-fis-ics.” Bea repeated slowly.
“That’s right. It means I study space and the stars. I can make machines and stuff like your daddy too, but nothing like his Iron Man suit.”
“Sars petty…” Bea mumbled looking up to the sky and promptly frowning.
Jane looked up too. “They are.” She smiled. “It’s very cloudy though so I don’t think we’ll be able to see many if any stars tonight.” Bea continued to frown, but this time at Jane rather than the clouds. “But, on another day when it’s much nicer weather, maybe when you’re a little older, and the sky is clearer we can look at the stars and I’ll tell you all about them you if you want?”
At this Bea’s eyes lit up and she clasped her little mitten covered hands together excitedly. “Yeah! Petty stars!” She grinned at Jane before pointing to the nearest puddle. “Mo spash?”
“Sure, more splash sounds good to me.” Jane smiled at Thor and crouched to Bea’s height. “I think your Uncle Thor might even join in properly this time.”
“Yay! Unc’ For spash!” Bea cheered jumping into the puddle with both feet.
“As you wish.” Thor grinned and joined Bea and Jane splashing in the puddle. “You’re right, it is more fun than I thought.”
“Told you so. Toddlers always have the best ideas.”