"Jesus why do I have a f**king headache?" Shardae said as Thor placed a glass of water in front of her.
Not long after she had fallen unconscious Thor's fight with Stark and Rogers ended. And the three of them had returned to find Loki holding Shardae in his grasp. They took Loki back to the air craft and during her sleep separated him from Shardae. The dragoness was pardoned by Fury and she had Loki to thank for that.
"You were asleep for awhile" Thor explained to her.
"Medical tests were also run on you" Stark added. "The results should come back soon"
"Dragons don't get sick often Rusty" Shardae joked at Tony.
"Rusty? Really?" Ironman inquired not believing his ears.
"Well iron tends to rust after a while" Shardae replied.
She then felt her headache returning and she put her head back down onto the table.
"Now I feel like crap" she muttered.
Concern came over Thor and he placed a hand over the dragon shifter's forehead.
"You are slightly warm" he said pulling his hand away.
"Maybe's she's coming down with the flu" Steve suggested.
"Did you not hear her say she can't get sick often?" Stark told Rogers.
"Hey! Don't start your bickering I have a f**king headache which might turn into a migraine!" Shardae snapped. That got Steve and Tony to jump and Thor smirked.
"It's rare to meet a dragon shifter now these days" Bruce Banner said as Shardae pulled her face up. "What is it like sharing your mind with a mythical creature?"
I like him Shardae's dragon said.
"The majority of the time it's fine dealing with my dragon half, but sometimes she can be a pain in the ass" Shardae answered Banner's question. "And my dragon likes you"
"Sounds like someone has an admirer" Romanov pointed out.
That got the Stark, Rogers, and Thor to chuckle while Banner seemed to blush. Suddenly Director Fury's voice came over the speakers.
"In case you try to escape you so much as scratch that glass, thirty thousand feet straight down in a steel trap, you get how that works? Ant, Boot"
"It's an impressive cage, not built, I think for me"
"Built for something a lot stronger than you"
"Oh I've heard" Loki replied and he paused. "The mindless beast, makes play to be the man"
"I need to rest" Shardae interrupted. "Thor mind leading me to the infirmary?"
"Very well" Thor agreed.
Loki's older brother walked over to the dragoness and helped her up. Again she felt dizzy and she swore. Not to mention she suddenly very hungry. She was glad the infirmary wasn't far from the room she had just been in and once she arrived Thor made arrangements for her have something to eat. Thor eyed his supposed fiancée in amusement as she wolfed the food given to her down.
"Have you put any thought into our arrangement?"
Shardae froze when he brought that up.
"If you speak of our supposed marriage I'm afraid that's out of the question now"
"I'm aware you are mated to Loki, but when he returns to Asgard he will be imprisoned or worse killed"
"If you kill him I die too" Shardae replied gravely. "That is how strong the mating bond is"
"Then perhaps you should accept the marriage to spare Loki's life" Thor suggested.
Shardae growled and Thor didn't like hearing her do that. Deciding to calm her down he walked over to her and bent down to her level. He took a hand into hers.
"You have my word that should you become my wife, I will keep you safe, and you may visit Loki whenever you wish"
"You would not love me, and I wouldn't expect you to, I sense your feelings you share for Jane is real enough"
"You are right, but that doesn't mean I couldn't learn to"
Thor kissed her hand before he stood back up.
"Just keep thinking about it" Thor told her and he left the infirmary so she could rest.
He is right you know, Loki would become imprisoned and if you accepted Thor's proposal Odin would most likely spare his life her dragon said.
"I will only choose that option if I really need to"
Shardae then went to sleep since her body demanded it. It seemed like she had slept for hours until she heard someone calling her name. Shardae opened an eye to see Bruce Banner standing with Thor.
"How long have I been asleep?" Shardae asked.
"Eight hours" Thor answered. "And your test results are back"
"Good maybe I can find out what the f**k is wrong with me"
Her swearing got Banner to chuckle and Thor only shook his head knowing her profanity use was part of who she was.
"You are not sick" Banner began. "No symptoms of anything came up however your body temperature seems to be rising up and down on its accord more than usual"
"That's because I'm of a mixed dragon race" Shardae told him.
"Your temperature is doing that for a reason" Thor interrupted. "These symptoms also mix with your desire to sleep, the dizziness, your mood swings, and not to mention your appetite"
"Hold it" Shardae said suddenly getting to her feet. "Don't tell me that I'm?"
"You're carrying a child" Banner said and Shardae turned to him.
"That can't be right" she began. However her dragon interrupted her.
He does not lie you are carrying our mate's offspring
Isn't it a little too soon to learn of a pregnancy? Shardae asked her beast.
It would be if the child had human blood and we are not human, the fetus hasn't even formed yet
Then how the hell can you and those tests tell I'm pregnant?!
Shardae screamed to her dragon.
A dragon always know when a child is conceived and your body temperature will continue to alternate until the child is born
"This is quite interesting to experience really" Banner said getting Shardae and Thor's attention. "I've always wanted to learn more of how dragon shifters lived"
"Well I'm not going to be an f**king experiment" Shardae hissed. "Nor is my child"
"Easy Shardae" Thor said and he placed a hand onto her shoulder. Banner's words had made smoke emit from her nose.
"You don't need to worry about that" Banner reassured the dragoness. "I have no desire to experiment on you"
"Good and if anyone else dares try I will kill them" Shardae threatened. Thor could already see that his fiancée was acting on instinct to keep her offspring safe.
"Will you excuse us Dr. Banner?" Thor inquired.
Bruce nodded and he left the infirmary so Thor and Shardae could speak alone.
"The child is Loki's isn't it?"
"Yes" Shardae answered. "He is the only male I have been intimate with"
"Then this complicates things" Thor sighed. "I'm not sure what father will say about this"
"I will not abort my child" Shardae hissed. "And your mother would not like that either, my mother will become furious if it came to that"
"He will need to know Shardae" Thor said in a serious tone.
"Then he will know the truth" Shardae stated firmly. "Now my mate needs to be informed, I trust you can arrange something"
"I will try" Thor replied.
"Don't try make it happen" Shardae commanded. "If I was carrying your child and if you were in Loki's place wouldn't you want to know?"
Thor swore under his breath knowing she was right.
"And the cameras and speakers must be off I don't want the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. to know just yet"
"How long will the pregnancy last?"
"A year, even being half dragon my child will shift within me and it needs more than nine months to master that"
Thor nodded and he took his leave. Shardae sat herself back on her bed and she placed a hand to her face. The dragoness lay back down and returned to her sleep. To be honest she wanted to be away from the others. Already she had been close to unleash her anger at Banner. Female dragons when pregnant were dangerous if provoked and it proved with Shardae's case. When she woke again Thor came back and informed her that she was allowed to see Loki. The cameras and the sound would be off so no one could eavesdrop on the conversation she was about to have with Loki.
Thor took her to where Loki was being held and she thanked him before he left her. She had been given the key code password and the door to the holding cell opened after she punched in the password. Her mate was standing up pacing back and forth bored out of his mind. The metal door closed behind her and Loki suddenly stopped pacing.
"I was wondering when you would come see me" Loki said turning to face his beloved.
"My apologies love but I wasn't feeling well" Shardae said.
"Have they figured out what is ailing you?" Loki demanded. "Because I've been hearing whispers that you haven't been well"
"Yes I know what is wrong and I came to tell you why" Shardae replied approaching the glass. "And the timing kind of sucks"
Loki smirked at his beloved's sense of humor. How she never failed to make him smile.
"No one can hear or see what I am about to tell you" Shardae continued. Loki sensed her change of demeanor and that alarmed him.
"What is it?" he asked. "You are tense"
"I carry our child" the dragon shifter finally answered.
Loki's eyes widened slightly as though he didn't believe what he just heard.
"Are you certain?" he asked.
"Yes the test results confirm it as does my dragon"
Told you her dragon replied.
A flood of emotions fueled into Loki's mind. Shardae allowed her mate to take in the news knowing he was having a lot of feelings mixed into one.
"I do not want to be imprisoned for the rest of life knowing you have my child growing inside you" Loki finally said.
"Then what do you suggest?" Shardae inquired.
"For one thing I will get out of here and take you with me"
Shardae snorted in amusement knowing her mate always had a plan up his sleeve.
"What matters now is that you take care of yourself and the child" Loki continued.
"But how do you feel about becoming a father?" Shardae asked.
Loki didn't answer at first before he said to her.
"Nervous to be honest but also happy"
That was all that she needed to hear.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Shardae turned to see Thor. He had that look that their conversation was over.
"I will see you again when I can" Shardae told her mate.
"As I said before my little dragoness I will be out of here soon"
Shardae smirked and she told her other half.
"I love you"
"As do I" Loki responded.
Shardae then turned to head back to the door.
"How did he take the news?" Thor asked after the door shut behind her.
"He took it well" she answered. "I just wish things were different"
Thor nodded in agreement and the two of them continued to walk in silence until Shardae stopped.
"Your father will imprison my mate once we return to Asgard"
"It is very likely" Thor agreed.
Shardae turned to Thor with a serious look in her eyes.
"I have made my decision"
"Shardae perhaps"
"Don't interrupt me Thor" Shardae said. "You're father will spare him if I agree to become your wife"
"Are you accepting the marriage?" Thor asked.
"Yes I am" Shardae answered. "It's the only way to ensure Loki's life and mine"
A few tears flowed down the dragon shifter's face and Thor could feel her hurting inside.
"You are very brave" Thor told her. "And selfless"
"And you are a good friend" Shardae replied looking to him.
Don't worry!
Shardae won't be marrying Thor. She only made that choice so Loki will be kept alive. Shardae and Thor view each other as good friends and nothing more. Also never anger a dragoness.