Written for a prompt on norsekink! Hope you enjoy!

The sharp rapping on the door was what woke me from my deep sleep. Rubbing my eyes, my vision worked to adjust to the darkness as I tried to rise from the couch. Judging from the position of the moon, I couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour or so. I couldn't help but get some sleep after all we had been through this day. Normally I wouldn't even be up at this time of night... But it isn't my place to decide when babies come into this world; they choose when they're good and ready. And judging from the increasingly persistent knocking, I had a good idea of what was about to happen. Opening the door, I wasn't surprised to find Thor waiting for me, a worried expression on his face.

"Mistress Rania..." he started.

"Please Thor, there's no need for such formality with me. Your brother doesn't use them."

"He's actually the reason I'm here. He says it's getting closer."

"Yes. Tell him I'll be there shortly."

And with a slight nod, he was off. I, meanwhile, quickly started grabbing several herbs and supplies off the shelves; hardly able to contain my excitement. Bringing new life into the world is truly a miracle in itself and one that I never tire of; but the births of the children of Loki were things of legend among the midwives of Asgard. And while I had been there for every one, this time this one would be born onto my own hands.

I was still very young when I witnessed the birth of his first child, Sleipnir; just starting as the apprentice of Mistress Quina who felt that this should be the first delivery I should see. Naturally, I was a little surprised and disappointed when I was led into the royal stables to the stall of a laboring mare and questioned why I was here at all; surely we were not midwives to horses...to which she promptly told me to be quiet and just watch.

So I did.

I watched in fascination as within minutes of our arrival, we promptly saw feet beginning to appear, followed by more, and four more feet as the rest of the foal emerged. I was more than a little concerned at the appearance of the eight-legged foal and thought it surely wouldn't survive; Quina seeming much less uncertain as she busied themselves with rubbing down and investigating the sex of the foal while the mare nurtured it with motherly licks. It wasn't until some hours later when we were leaving that I inquired of Mistress Quina again as to why we had been there at all when surely we were needed by a mother elsewhere. She looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and simply said, "The children of an Asgardian prince must come under the midwife's care first." And then I understood.

Loki...

I only scarcely heard her calling after me as I raced back toward the stables in the dark, needing to prove to myself that it couldn't have been what I thought. As I reached the stall, my eyes widened as I realized that the mare was gone. In its place was a pale, black haired young man who looked as if he had been through the ringer several times over while the foal's head rested in his lap.

A gasp escaped from my mouth before I could stop it and as slight as it was, it caught his attention. His head quickly snapped in my direction while I tried to get out of his line of sight and hoped that he'd think he was mistaken.

He wasn't.

"You there. Come into the light." he said with a chilling calmness.

Nervously, I stepped into view; suddenly regretting returning to the stables and fearful that he'd accuse me of coming to gawk (which wasn't entirely untrue.)

Recognizing me, his features slowly relaxed. "You can come closer." he said rather calmly. "Sleipnir won't bite."

'He's not the one I'm worried about...' I thought, but did as he said. Sleipnir, noting my presence, slowly got to his feet and after taking a few wobbly steps, nuzzled his head against my arm for a scratch. Kneeling down to the foal's level, I happily obliged as he leaned in closer and brushed his face against mine. The soft fur tickled against my skin and I couldn't help but laugh at the feeling. Hearing a chuckle, I looked up to see that Loki was smiling as well.

"I remember you." he said after a while. "The midwife's apprentice..."

"Yes sire." I replied with a slight nod, surprised that he had even registered my presence then.

"And what is your name?"

"Rania, your grace."

Tired from the evening's events, Sleipnir plopped down next to me with a snort; his eyes closing as he eventually fell asleep.

"He really is precious..." I said with a smile as I kept stroking the soft fur.

Looking up at Loki, his eyes were soft as if he were touched that I had accepted his son.

"I think he likes you Rani..."

And that was how it began for me as I trained to become a future midwife. There were only two rules that were made perfectly clear soon after, for his sake and the sake of his children, the deliveries of Loki's children would be kept only between the order of the midwives and that the parentage of his children would never be questioned. Within the next four years, Loki had brought forth two more children; Fenrir, a wolf pup and Jörmungandr, a serpent. Hel, his daughter born two years ago, was the most human-like; with all the appearances of a Asgardian newborn except for the fact that half of her body was as gray as death. I thought for a moment that Quina was going to faint dead away when she was born. But to Loki's credit, it was obvious how much he cared for each of his precious children; handling each of them with the utmost care and insistent that we do the same. For some of the other midwives who came through, this proved to be difficult. More than once, I heard the term of 'monster children' whispered of his offspring. To me though, each one was incredible to see with a beauty and uniqueness all their own and because of that, Loki and I grew to be rather close.

It was soon after Hel was born that Loki took a wife, a beautiful girl named Sigyn. So needless to say, we thought that our midwifing would shift to her and were correct for a time when she announced her pregnancy to the court. However when Loki came to me a few days later and revealed he was expecting as well, the entire dynamic changed. For 9 months, we watched Sigyn grow ever larger with child while Loki didn't change at all; no doubt concealing the pregnancy with his magic. As their due dates grew closer, the anticipation among the midwives grew as we tried to figure who would bring forth their child first.

Sigyn was the first to send for us.

The scene was one that I remembered well; the room warm with the glow from the fireplace, the various smells and aromas that Quina had brought to keep her calm through her labor, a new cradle waiting for the coming babe. What I remember most was the two of them together in the middle of the room, Sigyn's arms wrapped about Loki's neck as they both sway, her head pressed against his chest as she lets out a low moan at the height of the contractions. Somewhere I hear him humming along with her and I realize that I'm doing it too, willing their child to come all the sooner. As the contraction ends, she raises her head to look at him, both their smiles completely euphoric. Tenderly, he kisses her.

"I love you."

She smiles at him and lets out a sigh. "I love you too..." she whispers as she kisses him again. It's a sharp hiss from Loki that breaks the moment.

Sigyn asks what's wrong but he doesn't answer; his hands rubbing his stomach as he struggles to breathe.

"No... Not now..." he moans. He casts a look at me and we both know it at once.

His time had come.