A/N: Thanks again for the positive feedback. One reader mentioned the writing is fast-paced, and unfortunately that is how I've chosen to write for the sake of the upcoming plot. However I am glad you are enjoying the story nonetheless :)

The Chitauri didn't like the fact that Loki was late to their meeting. As he ascended their mountain, they greeted him with less than friendly words. The Other led them.

"You've been wasting your time with that Dark Elf," the Other said angrily when Loki approached him, "Forget her. She will only interfere with our plans."

Loki, not missing a beat, kept his cool exterior, "On the contrary, I think once she is reintroduced to her realm, she may be of great use. For what is a king, when he can have the added strength of a queen?"

"You take advantage of precious time, Asgardian," the Other barked at him.

Loki scowled, "It was not my choice to fall into the human realm!"

The Other laughed, "You've grown weak, Odinson."

"I am not his son," Loki said angrily, "Give me the spear. I will execute as previously planned."

"Not so quickly," the Other snatched Loki by the arm, "By what human name has she adapted?"

"I was unaware of the importance of her mortal identity," Loki replied simply, trying not to be intimidated.

"We do not know her name, but we do know her scent," the Other explained, "And we can smell her on you."

The words made Loki's skin crawl. There was something suddenly very wrong in this dealing. He didn't feel so safe anymore.

"Her...name is not of importance..." Loki struggled to get free.

The Other growled and tightened his grip on Loki's arm, "It is to us. Tell me her name."

Loki struggled to pull away, "Your bidding is with me, not her!"

The Other commanded one of his men to bring him something. Loki was unsure of what, but it couldn't be good.

"This is what we use to get the answers we need out of our prisoners," the Other's voice deepened, forcing Loki to the ground, "To ensure you pay your debt, we need to extract your most treasured possession..."

Loki started to panic, "This is mad! Unnecessary and barbaric!"

"The Blade of Truth, an ancient and most coveted weapon, is about to help you to pledge your allegiance."

Before Loki could try to move again, they stripped him of his armor and held him down. The Other smiled greedily as he applied the sharp blade into Loki's pale, exposed chest, watching it as he let go, see it carve out the name of his love.

No one could hear his agonizing screams. The blade tore at his fair skin, blood dripping from the cuts as the name started to be spelled out. When it finished, the Other announced, "Elena Ward. Well, we will be sure to pay her a visit, should you fail us."

Loki, his face in complete terror, started to beg, "Please...don't involve her in this, she is innocent..."

"We won't involve her, unless you turn your back on us," the Other snapped at him, "You must go, now. Enter their world. And should you go back on your word, your precious 'Elena' will be skinned alive, before we tear her apart."

Loki swallowed, dressing himself again after they let him go. Hastily he grabbed the scepter and rushed to the portal. Now he knew he couldn't ever see her again. His life, his future couldn't include Elena. Loki had barely escaped with his own skin.

He regretted leaving her behind, but it was something he had to do. The tesseract was waiting in the human realm, and the rest of the humans with it. Ready for submission. He would finally achieve his greatest destiny, to become King of Earth, and to rule the puny humans with an iron fist.

The Chitauri were right. There was no place for Elena in this equation. Loki promised himself that he had to forget her, that it was too dangerous to bring her into all this.

"I have to let her go," Loki said to himself as he ascended onto earth, "She does not deserve to burn in the flames of hell..."

It had been months since that fateful morning when Loki had left. Elena had given up by now. The dreams of him hadn't returned. It seemed her life was back to normal. Or as normal as it could be.

Loki had just vanished into thin air. No note, no words. Just an empty apartment with Elena wondering what had happened.

Of course, she thought. The mistake of that stupid L-word. She shouldn't have said it, even though he said it before her. That was the first thing to make men run. Elena knew from experience. Men disappeared whenever she slept with them. She felt stupid to think it would be different with him, especially since they had moved so fast within the full 48 hours of knowing each other (even if it was that!).

But something else had changed in her life. Something she wasn't willing to tell anyone. It was what she believed was a bout of the stomach flu that forced her to go to the doctor downtown, sicker than ever, and she received the shock of a lifetime.

"Have you been sick like this before?" the doctor asked routinely.

"Not this severe."

"The vomiting, is it continuous?"

"No, it's mostly in the mornings."

The doctor stopped writing and looked at her.

"Miss Ward, are you sexually active?"

Elena swallowed, "No..."

"Have you by chance miss your period this month?"

Elena seemed to avoid the question, "Sort of..."

"Listen. I'll run a few tests. I'm sure that will tell us what's wrong."

Elena nodded as the doctor exited and brought in a nurse. She waited patiently for the results, scrolling through her phone to try to entertain herself. After roughly ten minutes, the doctor returned.

"Well, I would like to offer a congratulations."

"Sorry...?"

"Miss Ward, according to these results, you're pregnant."

Elena felt her mouth go dry, "...what?"

"Yes. Six weeks, to be exact," the doctor nodded, "So, I can refer you to a few clinics in which you can make your-"

"I'm keeping it." Elena blurted out.

The doctor's eyes widened, "Ok, well...I can assign you some prenatal vitamins and send you to the Weston Women's Clinic, so you can book your first ultrasound and appointments as needed..."

The rest of the day was a blur to Elena. She didn't remember leaving the doctor's office, getting in the car, going home. The elevator to her apartment. Nothing. It didn't register.

Floating through the empty apartment like a ghost, Elena saw she had a voicemail on her phone.

"Hey Elena, it's Pepper! Haven't heard from you in a while, just wanted to make sure everything is ok. Tony says hi!" She could hear a muffled 'Yo!' in the background. "Come by Stark Tower sometime."

Elena closed her eyes. She couldn't tell even her only friends in the city. Tony Stark was a business friend of her father's, and Elena had known him since she was a child. She affectionately referred to him as her uncle. His girlfriend, Pepper, was the sister she never had. Even though she wanted to tell them, she knew that she couldn't. The story was too crazy. Even the eccentric billionaire with the iron suit couldn't possibly understand.

The only thing she was certain of was that she wanted to keep this baby. It would be the only blood relative she knew. Knowing her own mother had abandoned her helped solidify this decision. And perhaps at some point Loki would return. Elena sighed, she wouldn't get her hopes up. If she was no longer seeing him in her sleep, he probably wasn't ever coming back. At least he'd left her with this little gift.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Elena tried to picture herself with a baby bump. Motherhood wouldn't be a financial difficulty, as her parents paid for everything (out of guilt). She could dedicate her life to that of the little being inside her. Going to mothering classes, reading all the baby books. Preparing a nursery and learning how to change a diaper. Surrounding her little one with love. Love she herself had never known.

She stared at the bottle of prenatal vitamins on the desk. The prescriptions and appointments to have an ultrasound. It was official now. Elena Ward was carrying the child of Loki Odinson.

And she was terrified.