"So you and Rubber-Ears are in love." Allan commented, regarding my modest bump. "Who saw anything good starting in this god-forsaken hell-hole?"

"I don't know about love, but we're certainly onto something." I observed to him.

"So are you leaving us?" Katy, a new start and general dimwit asked. We looked glumly at her and returned to business. McGregor was on the bar with me.

"You know I have to tell your parents, right?" he said, looking like he'd rather not.

"I know." I replied,

"Anything you want me to say or leave out?"

"I trust your judgement."

"Don't run." He said solemnly, giving me sorrowful eye contact.

"I know better." I assured him and he gripped my shoulder supportively on my way past. For his sake or mine I'll never know. I pushed my parents out of my mind.

I got home before Loki. Since learning of my condition he had been looking for a job. It wasn't much but he got into cleaning aeroplanes, aspiring to learn to pilot them soon enough. I like that he had dreams.

I was reading when he came in, smelling of oil. I hated the smell and he made a beeline for the shower. I wolf whistled as he stripped and walked. Ten minutes later he was back, placing a hand on my orb, a kiss on my cheek and moving to sit on the couch next to me. He never made it to the couch; he started squaring up to the door.

"Loki!" an unfamiliar, wholly terrifying voice demanded. Our door was forced open and in came an older man, shorter but broader than Loki with honest to God gold armour on. Thor followed him, in silver armour and a red cape.

"Father, stop this!" Thor pleaded, stepping between Loki and the guy I could presume was their dad. The newcomer's eyes darted brightly into me.

"Who is this?"

Loki moved over to me as I stood and took my left hand in his. Here was the guy I first met again, angry and full of hate – and now that I thought about it, hurt.

"Syd', this is Odin, what you would call King of Asgard."

Curveball! Now accepting he was a demigod was one thing – but son to royalty? I didn't have a whole lot of time to process this as Loki suddenly hit out with,

"Odin, this is my wife."

I made a point of placing my hand to my stomach, making evident that which grew within. The newcomer into the frame was quite instantly furious. He turned to Thor,

"Do you see what you have done? I said to banish him!"

"Father, he is my brother! You stripped him of his power – of everything – need he suffer any more?"

"Yes! He has a family now! He should have nothing!"

"I had nothing!" Loki boomed, taking only a small step away from me. "I found something else to-"

"You don't deserve even the chance to have anything." Odin hissed in his face. He turned to Thor, "And you had a responsibility."

"He is my brother."

"Was. Like he was my son. He rejected us. We cannot afford to show mercy for such treachery."

"Maybe you can but I can not."

"What threat am I to you here?" Loki interjected. "Can't you just let me disappear?"

Odin looked furiously to us all before becoming blinding gold light and then he disappeared. Thor turned to Loki,

"Married? A child?" he looked so hurt not having known these things. I hadn't even thought to try and tell him.

"No and yes." Loki said quietly sagging onto the arm of the couch.

"You are not married?" Thor repeated.

"I lied to him." Loki explained. Thor seemed to understand,

"You didn't tell me you were to be a father. Or that I am to be an uncle."

"You were gone." Loki explained, meeting his brother's gaze. I watched them both share a profound expanse of emotion and waited.

"There is trouble in Asgard." Thor explained. Loki looked pained in response despite clearly trying to disguise it.

"Thor," I chipped in, "Why don't you lose the costume and stay for dinner? Clearly there's a lot to talk about."

"Thank you Sydney but I must return to Asgard."

With that he turned and closed the door behind him. I wondered what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" I asked Loki.

"No." He replied darkly before storming out the door Thor had just left through. I didn't think he was going after his brother. I was growing accustomed to his mood swings. For days his face could be set in a frown and he would hardly utter a word. It was similar to living to my parents, only he made sure I knew his anger wasn't directed to me. A touch here, a fake smile there, an occasional unasked for cup of tea. It was always over abruptly, and this time he emerged from a second shower and knelt on one knee in front of me as I read a sci-fi thriller (Dresden Files all the way people).

"Marry me." He suggested.

"Why?" I asked suspiciously. I was flattered all the same but marriage (having seen my parents') has never exactly been something I looked forward to. I guess he saw this thought in my face as I peered over the pages of my book.

"For your safety, it occurs to me that it is unlikely, but Asgard isn't as far away as it once was, and unless I can ensure you are worthy in its eyes, it threatens you. I won't allow it. Then there is the honest fact that I can not bare to imagine my life without you in it."

"What do you mean worthy?" I realise I was fixating on the wrong word here, but I feel I was making a good point.

"Please do not force me to describe to you the awful things Asgard could do to you and our son or daughter."

It was the first time he hadn't said 'child'. He had granted gender to be used. It felt so real that I had to tell him the new thing I knew. I wanted to let it sink in on my brain a little longer – I was the carrier after all – but there he was, baring his soul to me and I couldn't keep it from him an instant longer.

"Or both."

He looked puzzled. I took in a deep breath as it was hard for me to say it – harder than I could have imagined, "Twins."

It took a second but he smiled. "I supposed we will have our hands full."

"I know."

"You look nervous."

"You're clearly not nearly as terrified as I am."

"In Asgard, children are rare. They take years of praying and prayer. Demigods live long lives."

"Here there are too many, and trust me twins are more work than people care to realise."

"Oh?"

"I was a twin."

"Was?"

"She died." I clarified, the guilt hitting me in the throat as strongly as it always did. I fought my tears. I noted a pain in Loki's eyes and I hoped he was thinking of his brother. I leaned forward, he was still kneeling, and I answered his initial question, "Yes."

He mirrored my broad smile and we kissed, both pleased of two things:

1) Marriage, a promise on paper and

2) Getting away from the subject of families. It's a hard subject for both of us.

"Your parents aren't happy." McGregor huffed as we wiped down dishes.

"Fuck them." I smiled.

"That's new," he indicated the engagement ring. It was modest, an emerald delicately held between two thin silver bands, but we were scraping the barrel as it was. I loved it. In his way, McGregor was congratulating me. "Should I mention that to them?"

"Let me have this one to myself." I decided. He gave me a nod before moving to the bar.