Most mornings, after breakfast, Loki had taken to walking round the mansion for a while, even though Tony teased him mercilessly and said he waddled like a duck. Afterwards he would head down to the basement and take a dip in the pool, making sure he kept his still splinted fingers dry, followed by a short spell in the hydrotherapy pool to ease his aching back.

He was always painfully aware of the CCTV cameras that followed his every move through the corridors and sometimes he liked to toy with them. He would take one step forwards and then one step back, watching as the camera moved with him, and sometimes he would hide in the blind spots and re-appear from another, laughing as the camera would pan round desperately trying to locate him.

He liked to imagine the low level SHIELD operative, whose job it was to monitor him, screaming in frustration at their desk and then he sighed, remembering that was once called the god of mischief, his very name struck terror into the hearts of races all over the nine realms, and now he was reduced to annoying Fury's lackeys. These days he had to take his fun where he could find it.

He carried on down the hall, passing Clint and Natasha who were in the games rooms playing something that involved a plastic gun and apparently a lot of screaming, and then came to the pool. He opened the doors and entered, but was dismayed to find he was not alone.

Steve was in the water, swimming slow, methodical lengths of the pool, and Loki watched as the avengers powerful arms drove his impossibly toned body through the water. He looked down at his own skinny limbs and distended stomach and decided he would not swim today.

"Hey," Steve called out to Loki, now stood waist deep in the shallow end of the pool, "You coming in?"

Loki paused, casting a glance over Steve's impressive physique, and felt oddly self-conscious. He pulled his thin arms around his torso and said: "Not today, no."

"If you want the pool to yourself, I'm done now," Steve said, sensing Loki's discomfort.

"It's fine," Loki said, suddenly feeling the humidity and heat of the room make him a little woozy.

"Are you OK?" Steve asked as he climbed out of the pool, noticing how Loki was gently swaying, "You look a bit pale."

"It is rather warm."

"I think we should get you out of here," Steve said, taking Loki's elbow and guiding him towards the exit.

"You are wet," Loki said, his face growing paler, "I will wait while you change."

"I think finding you a chair is more important than a few wet footprints on the carpet, come on."

"I feel a little strange," Loki said, he stumbled into Steve and then lost his footing all together and collapsed into Steve's arms.

"Loki?" Steve said as he lowered him to the floor gently, "Loki?"

"Help!" Steve shouted, "I need help in here!"


Tony waited nervously outside the medical bay, fidgeting with his phone, and contemplated googling "Former Norse god" pregnant but decided against it. He had been told that Loki had collapsed, they were running tests and under no circumstances was he to enter the room and annoy the living daylights out of the doctors.

He held his breath and then exhaled loudly.

"Screw this," he said, and stood up, but as he moved his hand towards the door it opened and Bruce came out.

"What's going on? How is he?" Tony asked.

Bruce raised his hands and said: "Sit down."

"There's something wrong with the baby isn't there?" Tony said.

"Tony, give me a minute. Let me explain."

"Get on with it then."

"The doctors said he's extremely sick. His blood work is a total mess," Bruce said, "He's malnourished, he's anemic, he's got multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Basically everything he is eating, the baby is taking it all and there's nothing left for him. It's starving him to death."

"So we make him eat more and take some vitamins."

"Well, that's not the major issue. The baby's already too big for him to give birth to it naturally."

"They can do a C section."

"Tony, he's only 4 and a half months pregnant. He's already not far off the limits of what his body can physically carry, especially while he's this sick."

"Can they do anything? What did they say?"

"That at some point a choice will have to be made. If Loki attempts to carry this baby to term in his weakened condition it's probably going to kill him, but if we deliver the baby early it might not survive."

~o~

Tony sat by the bed, gently holding Loki's hand as he slept, and wondered how he could possibly break this to him. He looked terrible, bone thin and as pale as the white sheets he laid upon. Dark smudges under his eyes contrasted with the paper-thin skin that stretched taut over his sharp cheekbones. How had he not seen this coming? He knew Loki had lost weight, but how had he not realised sooner just how serious the situation was?

Loki began to stir gently, his free hand instinctively running over his belly, as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Hey," Tony said.

"Is the baby safe?" He asked, weakly.

"The baby's fine," Tony said, and Loki allowed his eyes to close again as he smiled slightly, "There's a problem though."

"What problem?" Loki asked, his eyes shooting open, fully awake now.

"I'll let Bruce explain it to you," Tony said, and beckoned him over from the other side of the room.

"Ah, I'm not sure where to start," Bruce said.

"Perhaps you should start with the most salient fact and quickly?" Loki said.

"OK. Your body, in its present state, will not be able to carry this baby for much longer. At some point we will have to deliver and it's possible it might be to early for the baby to survive."

"That is out of the question," Loki said, "I will carry it for as long as needed."

"Loki, it's going to kill you," Bruce said, "You can't do this."

"I don't care. I am more than willing to sacrifice my life for that of my child."

"Please, will you consider the early delivery, for me?" Tony asked, "I don't like it either, but I can't stand the thought of losing you."

"I never took you for the sentimental type, Stark," Loki said flatly, "Since when have you cared about me? Did you forget who I am?"

"I know who you are and I know who you were, and surprising as it sounds, I do care about you. I'm not going to let you throw your life away."

"But you would throw away the life of my child?" Loki snapped, "I will not allow you to take her from me like they took the others! If it kills me then so be it, you will not steal her away."

Tony sat back in his chair, stunned by the sudden outburst. In all the time they had spent together, both before and afters Odin's intervention, Tony had heard more personal details of Loki's life from Thor, than he had from the man himself. This revelation he had not heard before.

"You've had other children?" Tony asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you see them anywhere around? It did not seem like you needed to know every sordid little detail of my life," Loki said, then he sighed, "My other children were all taken by Odin… They were either killed or cast out."

Bruce and Tony looked at each for a moment, neither knowing how to react.

"Odin took your children?" Bruce asked.

"He rides around on Sleipnir's back like a common pony, he cast my daughter into Hel and he chained my son beneath the earth because they were scared of him," Loki ranted, "I will not lose another of my children because of HIM!"

Loki covered his eyes with his hands, scared he had revealed too much of himself, and trying to regain control of his emotions.

"We'll find a way to get you through this, OK?" Tony said, gently pushing Loki's hair back off his forehead.

"Odin may still come for her, even after she is born," He replied, lowering his hands to his stomach, no longer caring about the wetness on his cheeks.

"Well, he'll have to get through me," Bruce said.

"And me," Tony said gently, "And the whole team. We won't let that happen."

"Thank you," Loki said.

"So we're having a girl, huh?" Tony asked.

Loki smiled slightly and nodded his head.

"Hell of a way to find out. How long have you known?"

"Since conception. I could feel her energy," Loki said, and then added, "You are not displeased? Most would wish for a male heir."

"That baby could come out looking like a Velociraptor and I'd still love her."

"There is a possibility she might, yet."

"Oh," Tony replied.


Thor was stood at the window of the medical bay, a pensive look on his face, as Bruce came out of the door.

"How does my brother fare, Banner?"

"He's sleeping, I wouldn't disturb him for now. Tony's with him."

"No, I think he would not be pleased by my presence and I do not with to place him in danger," Thor said, and then he asked, "The child is safe too?"

"She's OK, for now."

"They are having a daughter?" Thor asked, and Bruce nodded, "That is wonderful news."

"Well, there's a problem," Bruce said, and Thor looked at him quizzically, "The baby is killing him, and he's prepared to let that happen."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"If the doctors knew more it might help, but even Loki himself knows almost nothing about Jotun physiology so they're kinda stumbling round in the dark."

"Then perhaps I can assist in that," Thor said, and walked away.