"Alexandra." Loki looked worriedly at his wife, who was moaning and flinching in her sleep. "Alexandra, I beseech you, please wake up." He shook her slightly.

"What?" she looked around, not entirely awake, "What is happening?"

"Are you alright?"

"Loki?"

"Yes."

"Why did you wake me?" she rubbed her eyes. "Is someone ill?"

"No…" he looked at her analytically. "Are you alright?"

"Me? Yes, I think. Why would I not be?"

"You were…did you have a bad dream?"

Alexandra thought for a moment. "Not that I am aware of, why?"

"You…you seemed to be fearful or in pain."

"I am fine." She dismissed. "Well, fine as I can be."

"Are you anxious?"

"Tomorrow, a mere day after I have buried my father, I have to take his crown, what do you think?" she half-growled.

"Alexandra…" he tried to pull her to him, knowing it, at least, gave the child comfort, but she fought him. "You need…"

"You need to stop telling me what I need." She finished.

"I am your husband, I am worried about you."

"You are worried about the baby, try not to play me for a fool on that front, you insult us both that way." She growled.

"Yes, I care for our child, what sort of father would not, but I care about you also." He snapped back, she did not respond. "I understand that you are hurting, Norn's I do, but cease pushing me away."

"You never cared about me." She curled up in the blanket.

"Norn's you are testing. I do care, you are my wife, and you need me, I need to be here for you, I want to assist."

"You are under no obligation."

"I may not be, but I wish to be. I want to help you, however, possible through this."

"Why?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"I need a reason?"

"You have never cared for me, so yes, I want to know your motive."

"You know nothing of how I feel for you," Loki warned.

"You have made it clear since we were youths your thoughts of me."

"Are you saying I cannot mature over the years?"

"You…" Alexandra was about to retort again when she felt a pain course up through her back and around to her abdomen.

"Alexandra!"

"The baby…" she hissed, trying to control her breathing.

"What is happening?" Loki pulled her round to him.

"I…"

"Alexandra."

"I think I am losing it." She half wept.

"It may be nothing of the sort." He tried to calm her, though he knew he needed to alert the healers as to her situation. "I will call for the healers and they will tell us what is happening."

"I am so sorry." She began to cry.

"No, no sorrys, you will see in a moment, there is nothing truly wrong." He was only half talking to her, half telling himself in hopes of not panicking. "Just stay here." Rushing to the door, he got a guard to call for a healer, before rushing to where his parents were staying and pounding on the door.

Odin opened, Gungnir is his hand. "Loki…"

"Tell mother to come to my rooms, Alexandra…"

"Go to her, I will get your mother." Odin closed the door and Loki did as he was told.

Not knowing who else to call, especially since Tatiana had been sedated by the healers because she was so stressed by her husband's death, so he rushed back. "I called the healer and my mother, they will be here in a moment." He informed Alexandra, who was sitting up in the bed.

"I think I am in labour."

"It is far too early." Loki shook his head.

"Loki?" Frigga entered the room, "What…oh, Norn's." she stared at Alexandra's stomach. "Why…"

"She thinks she is in labour mother, help her, please."

Frigga looked from her distressed son to his terrified looking wife. "If the pain is not consistent, it is not labour, sweetheart." She soothed. "Has it a rhythm?" Alexandra shook her head. "Then whatever it is, it is not that, we will have you right as rain in no time. Tell me what is going on."

"It hurts, and my stomach is hard."

Frigga frowned. "Alright, Loki, have you called a healer?"

"I sent for one."

"Good, we are going to get this sorted." She stated as reassuringly as possible, pushing Alexandra's hair back off her face in a comforting manner. When a knock came to signify there was another wanting to enter, she went and opened the door.

"Loki." He turned to see his wife looking at him. "I am so sorry." She swallowed, tears completely blurring her vision.

"Whatever for?" he asked, taking her hand and holding it in his.

"I might lose the baby."

"I said it before and I will say it again, not the, not your, our baby, it is our baby and if we lose it, then that is what the Norn's decide, but stop trying to blame yourself for this." He kissed her hand.

"I am sorry I have been so horrible to you these past few days."

"You are mourning, you are tired, pregnant, hungry and stressed, I cannot fathom how you are feeling." He stated. "Besides, your words were true enough. I never tried, not since that very first day. You always did, but you were bound to give up eventually, I should commend you on your resilience to the task."

"Most would have called me a slow learner." She scoffed.

Loki smiled. "Perhaps, we will debate it after you are checked over."

"Promise?" there was a small glimmer of hope in his wife's eyes.

Loki leant down and much to her shock kissed her. "I promise." With that, he walked out of the room with his mother on the healer's request.

"You have made substantial progress with your marriage, I see." Frigga smiled, looking at her son. "Why did you not tell me?"

"Because just when I thought I had, we took a monumental step backwards."

"I think it more accurate to say you had a small setback." His mother corrected. "And why did you not mention the baby?"

"I accidentally told father. But I…we were supposed to tell you as a joyous occasion, not have all this happen, nothing…it did not go as planned."

"I can see that." she laughed. "This is a wonderful thing." She smiled at her son.

"If they are alright." Loki looked again to the door.

"They will be, the choice of you as a husband took this into account, the chance of her suffering as Tatiana had is almost none. Your genes are far stronger than hers, they will protect your children."

"What about her?" His mother looked at him confused. "What about Alexandra, will she be alright, how can we be sure she will be?" He asked, his panic obvious.

Frigga's eyes widened. "You love her."

"I think I do." He admitted for the first time. "As much as I tried not to, as much as I stupidly tried to push her away, I just…I have no idea when this even happened." He stated, as much to himself as to his mother.

"I am so happy to hear that my darling." She beamed, cupping his face in her hands.

"But I think I have pushed her too far now."

"Her face when you gave her that kiss, it was not one of just shock, but one of almost hope."

"She is scared she is failing."

"All mothers fear that."

"Me, she is scared of failing me." He snapped. "What if she…if she loses the baby, I lose her." He fell onto a chair, his face in his hands.

Frigga immediately went over and rubbed his back. "Darling, you will not lose either of them."

"Mother." Both Frigga and Loki turned to see a fearful looking Thor standing to the side of them. "Brother."

"Thor, whatever it is, just spit it out." Loki hissed, not wanting to wait to know what his brother wanted.

"Father sent someone to see if he could rise, Tatiana." Thor began, there was no need for him to say anymore. Frigga's hand went to her open mouth. "I am sorry, brother."

Loki just stared at him, almost disbelievingly. "This cannot possibly get any worse." He shook his head. As though the Norn's had decided to torture him, the healer walked out of his bed quarters, looking at him in shock.