Josie wanted someone to come get them, but Cynara pointed out that it was less than a quarter of a mile; they were within sight of the place and it would be quicker to walk. She accepted the helping hand, though, and they moved slowly across the rolling hills.

"Cool," Cynara complained, "When did it get so cool?"

"It's only in the mid-seventies," Josie murmured, looking her over in a worried way. She pulled out her cell phone and hit one of the speed dial buttons. "Looks like it may be time," Josie announced, and slid the device back into a pocket. "Cavalry's coming."

"Have them bring some coffee," Cynara chuffed. She pulled her sweater around her more tightly and glared at her doctor. "Why aren't you shivering?"

"I'm not the one stressed or in labor," came the smart-ass reply. "We'll get you something to drink once we're inside, okay, 'Nara?"

"Hot," came the request. "Please."

They made it within yards of the outpost when Phil hurried out followed by a wheelchair and two medical technicians. Cynara let them help her into it and tried to listen to the conversation going on over her head but a sudden barrage of impressions in her head made everything else fade into the background. She put her hands over her face and closed her eyes, concentrating hard.

Excitement. Apprehension. Discomfort.

Those all came through loud and clear. Cynara rubbed her eyelids and felt her own emotions rise up in reply.

Excitement. Comfort. Reassurance.

When she opened her eyes they were inside the medical unit and everyone was looking at her. Cynara blinked. "Sorry, sorry, I was . . . thinking. What did I miss?"

Phil handed her a steaming mug and Josie took it from him before Cynara could. "Sorry, let's check her first and then she can have it."

Blood pressure, eyes, tongue, reflexes . . . the checklist went on and on, and it took all of her self-control not to grab the mug off the counter. When Josie finally looked up, her expression was definitely concerned.

"You're cool all right, but it's not anything I can pinpoint, per se. Are you out of breath? Tired?"

"No, I'm chilled and thirsty," Cynara tried not to snap. "May I please have the tea?"

Phil looked to Josie, who nodded, and they both watched Cynara drink it. She looked over the rim of the mug and crossed her eyes at them before gulping. "Stop already! I just wanted something hot. More please."

Fifteen minutes later she was restlessly buttoning up her collar and folding her arms across her chest. "Okay, could someone please turn down the air conditioning?"

"Is this normal?" Phil asked, pulling out his cell phone.

"Not generally, no. Do as she asks," Josie replied in a terse tone. "'Nara, hon, I want to do a quick ultrasound and see what's going on with the baby."

"Yeah, okay," Cynara murmured, feeling her tension ratchet up another notch. She didn't feel sick or nervous, didn't have any cramps going yet—the only thing bothering her was the chill. Well that, and the concern in Josie's voice.

Fifteen minutes later, Josie was rubbing the slicked up wand across Cynara's belly, and making soothing sounds. "Standard imaging looks all right . . . baby girl is definitely in position, that's for sure. Now I want to take at thermal scan."

Cynara nodded, feeling another impression filling her mind. Discomfort. "Ah, I think the baby's . . . uncomfortable."

"Hang on, let's take a look . . . . ohhhhh," Josie trailed off and looked from the monitor to Cynara, her gaze dropping to the gel-covered stomach. "Wow. She's ah, she's cool. In fact, she's a LOT cooler than you are."

For a second Cynara said nothing, then blurted, "Ice. Ice giant, that has to be it, right? She's half Jotunn!"

"Sounds right to me. The problem is you are flesh and blood, 'Nara, and you need heat. At the moment you're at ninety five degrees. If your core temperature drops below ninety-two both you and baby are going to be in serious trouble."

"W-what's the baby's temperature?" Cynara saw the woman hesitate and added, "Jo-sie?"

Josie drew in a breath. "She's at ninety-three right now, and she's the reason you're so cold. We've got to warm the two of you up right away."

"F-f-fine with me," Cynara managed through chattering teeth.

-oo00oo-

Two hours later, wrapped in heating blankets, Cynara felt worse. The chill didn't abate, and worse, it stayed at the shivering level, never warming down, never getting cold enough to numb out. She shook under the covers and could tell from Josie's worried face that matters weren't going well.

It didn't help that the impressions from Nira were still radiating discomfort, and the guilt made Cynara snappish. She shifted from side to side on the hospital bed, trying to clench her teeth to keep them from chattering. "Gah! I was p-p-prepared for cramps and back p-pain, but this s-s-sucks!"

"We're doing what we can," Josie assured her firmly, "and I'm right here, 'Nara."

"I know, I kn-kn-know, I just wish Loki w-w-was," came the growl.

"That makes two of us. Thor is out looking for him right now," Josie sighed. "Any idea where that last rock came from?"

Cynara shook her head; the effort of talking was getting to be too much. Josie checked the IV line and muttered something about heating the next bag of saline when a commotion made both women look towards the door. Thor's voice was recognizable, but the figure striding in, dusty and furious, was the god of mischief. Loki paused; Cynara noticed that one of his sleeves was completely shredded from wrist to shoulder, and that his face was seriously grimy. "Wife."

He tried to move towards her but Josie bounced in front of him, blocking his way. "NO. Go wash yourself right now!"

Before Loki could argue, Cynara spoke up. "Sh-she's right, Husband. Hurry th-th-though."

With a glare at the doctor, Loki reluctantly stepped back and out, boots loud on the tiles. Josie stared after him, calling, "Have him use the antibacterial soap and I want this hallway sanitized immediately!"

Cynara laughed despite herself since it was clear Josie had been dying to yell at someone. When she turned back, Cynara pointed a finger at her. "Felt good, don't d-d-deny it."

"Yes it did, although your husband smells like manure. Baby's pulse is up, so she probably knows daddy is here."

Cheered, Cynara settled back and waited, trying to send soothing thoughts to the squirmy lump inside her. Nearly forty minutes later Loki strode in again, clearly furious at having to wear hospital scrubs, and tossing the mask and hairnet aside.

"Wife, explain to your minions that I do not have these 'germs' that everyone cowers from, immediately!"

"L-Loki," she began, but Josie once again stepped forward, bristling.

"Listen, pal, you may be a god, but this is MY domain and you'll do what I tell you," came the flat menacing tone. "Right now your wife and daughter are having some problems and I don't need you to aggravate the situation with a bunch of bullshit demands. Either shut up and help or get the hell OUT."

The glare between them could have melted titanium, but gradually Loki shifted and sighed. "I yield to your wisdom, midwife. What is wrong?"

"In a nutshell the baby needs the chill but your wife needs heat." Josie waved Loki over and pointed to images of the last thermal scan on the computer screen. "Right now neither one of them is happy, and I'm running out of options. We could do a Caesarian but I'm not quite ready to consider that just yet."

"Jotunn," Loki murmured, looking at the image raptly. "My bloodline runs true. There may be a way . . ."

Turning he shifted over to Cynara's bedside and reached for her hand as he leaned down for a quick kiss. She took both, and the minute her skin touched his, felt her shivering stop. Startled, Cynara nearly let go, but Loki wrapped his other hand around hers to prevent it, and spoke softly to her. "Do you remember when your heat saved me, back when the dragon had poisoned my body? I can do the same for you now, Wife. Through that small part of you that carries Ice Giant, I can let my coolness help."

"Yeah?" was all Cynara could say. Across the room Josie was listening to the change in pitch of various monitors and studying readouts.

"Yes, yes, this is looking better. What are you doing?"

"I am . . . helping," Loki replied tersely, clearly unable to clarify. Cynara gripped his fingers firmly as she felt a wave of happiness rising from the baby within her.

"Let's not ask for complicated explanations right now okay? I feel a whole lot better and the baby seems too as well. So, where were you, Husband?"

Loki shifted himself to lean against the bed, flashing her a smile. "A strange part of Midgard, truly. Vast, hot plains with few people and many beasts. The serpents there bowed to me, and the wolves sang my praises to the full moon, but the others . . ." here he looked annoyed. "They would not heed my commands. One in particular proved most trying, and we battled for a while."

"You . . . battled an animal?" Remembering his sleeve, Cynara looked up at Loki, fearful and amused at the same time. "Um, why?"

"He did not show me proper respect," came the disgruntled answer. "But I was not afraid of his nose spears or thick armor, and was just about to make him my mount when Thor arrived."

Cynara looked at Josie, who was biting her lips to keep from laughing. "You were going to ride a . . . rhinoceros?"

"I will return to claim him," Loki announced proudly. "He will inspire fear in my enemies."

"No shit," Josie muttered. "Good luck getting a saddle on him. 'Nara, how are you feeling?"

"Crampy but not cold," Cynara murmured. "A lot better."

"Good. Whatever your husband is doing to stabilize your temperature is working."

For a while none of them spoke, and Cynara let herself relax enough to feel slightly drowsy. She wove her fingers with Loki's and looked up at him and finally spoke. "Thank you for the runes. It's been . . . interesting reading them."

"So many bragging of their endowments," Loki murmured. "I wanted to make you laugh."

"Well I did. Fury would be pissed if he knew the front lawn of the outpost is now full of dick graffiti." She took in a deep breath as a cramp began to build, moving from the small of her back to her stomach. "Ooooohhhh."

"And there we go," Josie murmured, snapping on a latex glove. "I'm just going to check you . . ."

Grumpily Cynara allowed it, glared at Loki, who looked as if he wanted peek under the drape to watch. "No."

"Consider it a sign of my caring."

"No."

"Shush," Josie muttered. "Okay, last time I checked you were dilated about four centimeters but now you're up to six, so things are definitely on the fast track. I know you don't want to hear this, but you're lucky—most first-time mothers spend hours at this stage."

"When I foaled Sleipnir," Loki began, but Cynara squeezed his fingers as hard as she could and for once he took the hint.

Josie noted something on a chart and rose, rubbing the small of her back, managing a smile. "All right. I'm going to grab something to eat and let everyone out there know what's going on. I'll be back in a little while. If you need the bathroom just be careful of your IV and the fetal monitor, okay?"

Cynara nodded, watching her leave the room, and looked around, realizing it was nearly dark. "Wow, it's late. I didn't realize how long I've been here already."

"Time will seem strange for both of us for a while. The distortion of Haliastur's lair lingers," Loki murmured. "I blame myself for that."

"I blame you too," Cynara replied dryly, and countered it with a quick grin, "but I knew you were trouble before I married you, so it's my fault as well."

"Yes," Loki agreed, his own smirk a little wry. "Although our children will make matters slightly more complicated."

"Child. One, unless you're including Sleipnir in the group here. Unnnnngghhhhh . . ." she trailed off, rubbing her abdomen. "That hurt."

Loki squeezed her hand in sympathy.

-oo00oo-

The hours rolled on, and Cynara found herself exhausted. The contractions grew in strength, and between them she dozed, still clinging to Loki's hand. She wasn't cold now, even though her body temperature was far below normal, but at least Nira was comfortable, if reluctant to be born.

Just after dawn the contractions started coming hard, in rolling waves of pressure that added more pain to muscles already aching. Cynara refused to yell, preferring to grunt and keep Loki's hand in a death grip.

To his credit he didn't verbally complain, although occasionally he winced. Josie, frazzled-haired but focused, kept an eye on them both and by mid-morning she was urging Cynara to bear down through the contractions. "Come on, you can do this, you know you can."

"I'm . . . trying!" Cynara chuffed, feeling surly by now. "Why don't you just skip the middle man and talk to the kid!"

"She is frightened," Loki broke in quietly. "She knows this is painful for you, Wife."

Cynara turned to look at him, sweaty and near tears. "No . . . it's okay. Tell her it's okay, tell her we have to do this!"

"We must both tell her." Loki laid his free hand on Cynara's belly. She took a breath and tried to focus, pushing aside her own frustration and discomfort. Come on sweetie. I want to see you. Your father wants to hold you. Just work with me here, all right? We'll be fine.

For a few minutes nothing happened, and Cynara felt the oncoming squeeze of another contraction building up. She glanced up at Loki, who was just as gaunt-faced and sleepless as she felt and caught the fleeting expression of honest fear in his face. It shocked Cynara, and she tugged on his fingers to get his attention. "We're . . . fine!" she reminded him. "This is how it goes, H-h-huuuuuuusbannnnnnd!" came her groan through the roll of pressure tightening every muscle in her torso. The shift came instantly, and she pushed again, hard, barely aware of Josie's encouragement or of Loki's arm around her shoulders as she curled up and squeezed.

Too. Much. Pressure- and then Cynara felt something heavy and cold slide out between her thighs, accompanied by icy wetness. She opened her eyes, trying to focus on Josie and the squalling little bundle in the doctor's arms. Trying to catch her breath she demanded, "B-baby?"

"Girl," Josie shot back, working to wipe down the little uncooperative figure. "Feisty too. She's cool, so I'm guessing that's normal, but I don't know whether to put her under the heat lamp or not. Loki?"

Wrap her and give her to us," he ordered, his tone soft.

"Okay, but first a few checks . . ." Moving swiftly, Josie weighed, measured, tested, and finally passed the baby over to Cynara, grinning. "Congratulations. Seven pounds three ounces, twenty inches, our first interspecies infant."

Cynara looked down at her wrinkled slightly periwinkle daughter and smiled. "Hello sweetie."

The baby wriggled and looked up, and when she did so, Cynara felt giddy bubbles of happiness flit through her consciousness, a joy that not only echoed her own, but magnified it. Loki reached down to stroke the infant's cheek, his long finger pale against her skin.

"Well done, Wife. Welcome to Midgard, little mischief."