Sorry I have taken a while. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy! This is an important chapter. :)


Athena felt sick.

It had been about a month after Odin said she could no longer see Loki again.

She had just woken up, but she didn't feel right.

She had a weird craving for unusual food. She never had that.

She had taken a test earlier and she was now waiting for the results.

She hoped they were not what she thought they were.

She knew the signs of pregnancy. Freya had taught her that when she had just become her apprentice.

The machine let out a ding and she hobbled back over to it.

The screen showed an image and Athena made it 3D to see it better.

There was an image of her, but it zoomed up to her stomach.

There she saw a yellow orb. An orb that had a heartbeat.

Athena gasped and shut it off quickly.

It was true….. She was pregnant. With Loki's child.

8 ½ Months Later

Athena was still reeling over the death of Freya.

It had happened so fast. She was not ready to be the sole Healer.

It happened about seven days ago.

Athena was hobbling around. She had an enchanting spell put on her to hide the large baby bump. To everyone around her, she looked normal. It was hard to act normal when her back was killing her from standing straight.

Freya was going out to get herbs. But she was going farther away from the city to get them. It was dangerous the farther away a person get from the city.

Athena insisted that she go with her but Freya refused. She was too honorable to accept.

Maybe she had known.

She had left in the morning, and Athena started to get worried when the sun was in the center of the sky and she still was not back.

She was about to go out and look for her when a pair of guards stopped her.

"Please come with us." They said quietly.

She followed them to a room with only a table.

But the table held a body.

Freya.

Athena let out a gasp and raced towards the table towards her mentor.

"NO!"

Athena grabbed Freya's cold hand.

"No please!" Athena cried out, tears slipping down her face.

There was a large gash on Freya's head.

Athena ripped a piece of cloth off of her sleeve and pressed it to her head.

"Come on Freya. Please don't do this. You can't leave me. Don't leave me!" She wiped away the blood from her wound and glanced around frantically for any herbs or anything to use.

The guards opened their mouths to say something but Athena whipped her head around and pointed at them. "Don't you dare interrupt me! I'm busy! She is not going to die on my watch!"

Athena turned back to Freya and placed her hands on her chest and pushed hard.

"Come on Freya!"

She heard the door open again behind her, but she ignored it and continued pushing on her chest.

"I need to get her heart beating! Won't anyone help me?" She shouted, tears blinding her vision.

"Athena." A soft voice spoke.

She ignored it and continued to push down. "Leave me alone!"

"Athena stop." The voice said again. It was defiantly male.

She didn't stop.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her away from Freya.

"No! Stop! I have to help her!" Athena sobbed as she struggled against the arms.

"Athena!" The voice said loudly, loud enough to make her cease her struggles. "She's already gone."

Athena stared at her mentor's body and then went limp in her captor's arms. She started sobbing uncontrollably.

Her captor gently lowered her to the ground, where she kneeled in his arms, sobbing in her hands.

He held her tightly, and sat with her, whispering soothing things into her ear.

She was facing away from him, so she didn't know who it was.

Yet, the voice sounded familiar.

But she was in so much pain, she didn't care who it was.

She jumped up towards her body again, and placed her hands on her chest and started pushing again.

"I can still save you Freya! You taught me how!" She cried through her sobs.

The arms came around her again, but she would not let go.

The voice shouted something that she didn't hear, and then she felt a sharp prick on her neck.

A needle. She felt something shoot into her veins. She knew what it was immediately.

Tranquilizer.

"No!" She struggled against the drowsiness that was already beginning to slow her movements.

The arms pulled her back gently, but she was already feeling too heavy to struggle.

She had to let go of the body.

"No! Please! Don't do this!" She cried, as she started to stumble.

"Shhh. It's okay Athena. Just calm down. We are doing this for you." The voice said soothingly.

For some reason, she trusted it.

She lost her balance completely, and she fell.

The arms caught her and gently lowered her to the ground.

Her eye lids became heavy and they started to close. She tried to fight it, but she was just so tired.

Her head fell back, but a hand caught it and held it gently.

As her eyes closed, she saw a face above hers.

A face that she had not seen in months.

A face that she had missed so much.

A face with emerald eyes that bore into hers.

The face that belonged to Loki. Her child's father.

Freya had died soon after she had found out about the baby.

Athena had walked into the room, where Freya stood staring at her sadly.

"What?" Athena asked.

"Oh darling. How will you raise the child?" She asked quietly.

Athena froze. "What child?"

"Oh Athena. Enough with the act. You think I haven't noticed?" Freya asked, offended.

Athena sighed and plopped down in a chair. "How long have you known?"

"Long enough." Freya replied. "Do I even need to ask who the father is?"

Athena glanced at her mentor and shook her head.

Freya sighed softly. "Alright. I will not speak of this. But you must figure out what you will do. Let me know when it is time. You don't have to do this alone." She finished with a smile.

Athena smiled. "Thank you Freya."

But yet, she did have to do it alone.

When she had awoken, she was in her room. Alone.

That's when the pain started.

She knew what was happening.

Over time, the contractions got stronger.

She had prepared a spell just for this.

She cast it quickly, making the room soundproof. No one else could hear her.

As she finished, she screamed loudly, the contractions coming closer together, signaling the birth was close.

Pretty soon, she started pushing and after a few minutes, the baby slipped out.

Athena gasped, but leaned forward and gently picked up the baby.

It started crying.

Athena smiled and looked at the miracle in her arms.

She knew at that moment that she would do anything for this child. For this boy.

A week later, she was still reeling over Freya's death. And Loki's involvement. How he had held her. He was a married man.

Not long after Odin forbade them from seeing each other, he announced his marriage to Sigyn.

Sigyn was a beautiful woman. She was kind and caring and everyone believed that she had changed Loki. Made him better.

He began seeing her and then they was married. Freya attended the wedding, letting Athena skip it.

After that, they announced that Sigyn was pregnant.

Athena left the room when either of their names were mentioned. She could not bear the pain it sent her. She tried so hard to push it away, but no matter what, it still sliced her heart open. Her heart was an open wound. And every time they were mentioned, salt was poured into the wound, making it so much worse.

She had hoped that Freya would deliver the child, but that would not be possible anymore.

As she was sitting there, the doors burst open and Loki and Sigyn burst in.

"The baby is coming!" Loki shouted.

Athena jumped up and helped Sigyn to a table.

Sigyn started screaming.

"Okay. Just push Sigyn. Take deep breaths. It will be over soon." She instructed.

She glanced over to see Loki clutching Sigyn's hand. She looked at his face, and it was contorted with worry.

He really did love her.

How stupid was she, that she had believed that he had really loved her?

Athena shook the thoughts away and concentrated on the task at hand.

A few minutes, the baby slipped out into her hands.

Athena held it in her arms and left the room to tend to the baby.

But something was wrong.

As she set it on the table, it didn't move. It didn't cry.

She opened its mouth and tried to suck out the goo that was in its throat.

It still didn't move.

She put her hand on its chest to feel for a heartbeat. There was none.

It was a stillborn.

Athena stepped back.

How would she tell them that their child was dead? They would blame her.

Then an idea hit her.

She wrapped the small body in a towel and left the room.

She headed to her own room.

She unlocked the door and went to the corner where a small crib sat.

Her eyes started to fill with tears.

She picked up her baby boy and held him in her arms.

He started crying quietly and Athena bent her head down and kissed his head.

He became silent.

Athena felt a tear slip down her cheek.

She knew what she had to do.

"I love you so much. I wish I could have been your mother. But you will always be my son. Even if I am not your mother." She whispered.

"You will be safe. You will have a family who loves you. You will not be looked at differently. You will be normal." She kissed his head again. "My son. You will have a wonderful life."

She carried him out of the room and into the delivery room.

Sigyn and Loki were waiting anxiously.

She put a smile on her face as she walked to them.

She placed him in Sigyn's arms and Loki leaned over to look at him.

"A boy. Congratulations."

Sigyn looked at Athena. "I thought it was going to be a girl."

The stillborn was a girl.

"It is not always correct. Not one hundred percent." She said, hoping they would believe her.

Sigyn nodded and looked down at the baby with a smile.

She looked at Loki and he leaned over and gave her a kiss.

His eyes gleamed with love.

Athena tried so hard not to break, but it was hard. She looked away.

"What will you name him?" Athena asked Sigyn.

Sigyn glanced at Loki before looking at her. "Nari. His name will be Nari."

Athena smiled and nodded. "I will inform Odin. He is a grandfather." She glanced at Loki and their eyes met.

His bore straight into hers as if he was trying to tell her something.

She stared back expressionless, and turned away. She would not be tricked again.

As she was leaving the room, she stopped and looked back at them.

"Take care of him please." She whispered softly.

She loved Loki and hated him at the same time. It pained her that she had to leave her son with him, while she could not be involved. She just had to trust him. Something she had told herself she would never do again. She watched them for a moment before leaving the room, and her son, behind.


And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!