Thor smiled as we walked back to our apartment from the restaurant, my hand on his arm and his hand on mine. I had my free hand pressed to my stomach- where it had been throughout the entire night, thoroughly distracted even as he spoke.

"Halea," Thor said, pulling me out of my musings. "Are you alright, sweet? You have been quiet."

I half-smiled and nodded, looking up at him, "I am alright- I just have a lot on my mind." He sighed heavily, stroking my cheek before moving to wrap his arm around my shoulder. "I should have had Erik talk to you- he is the only one you actually respect, you stubborn child. I do not understand how you can refuse to sleep and they have all noticed it. Erik explained that here in Midgard, it takes more energy for our bodies to function in the manner that we are used to. You need your rest sweet," Thor said, bending down to press his temple to mine.

Running my fingers back through my hair, I sighed, shaking my head at the concern in his eyes.

"No, Thor! I cannot sleep when I know that there is something wrong," I admitted almost angrily, refusing to look at my betrothed. "It is not just Midgard or Asgard- it is the entire universe! I know it in my heart that whatever going on in our realm is affecting me here. We are needed in Asgard. We need to go home!"

"Halea, we cannot go home…"

I inhaled deeply before looking up at the sky tearfully, biting my bottom lip. "I need to go to Asgard," I replied, trying to calm my panic. I ran ahead of Thor into our home, my hands ripping at my hair as I yelled at the top of my lungs. "What is going on Heimdall? You know that the kingdom is threatened and still, you imprison us here in this damned land-"

"Halea, what is the matter with you," Thor asked, gripping the top of my arms almost painfully. I shook him off and he glared at me, "Stop this madness my love. Now!"

"Leave me alone Thor," I replied, the overwhelming fear of finding myself truly trapped welling up inside of me. If I had thought that I was upset, it was nothing compared to Thor's reaction, unable to respond appropriately when he turned over our table and threw the vase at the wall. "You think that I do not suffer as you do, that I do not long for home as well? You heard Loki- we are not welcome in Asgard! We have no home in Asgard, for this world is ours now," Thor roared, taking me in his hands and shaking me.

I looked up at him, my tears streaming down my face, "I do not want to be here Thor. Living amongst these… mortals- you know as well as I do that many of them have no regard for the law and there is no all consuming justice here! This is no land in which we belong!"

"But we do Halea- we belong here!"

"You would raise our child here," I questioned, Thor blinking repeatedly as he released me.

I pressed my fingers to my lips as we looked at each other, trembling underneath his heavy gaze. "When was the last time our sheets were stained with blood? It was in Asgard, over a month ago now. I am with child- your child, the heir to the throne. And now we are here-"

Thor came to wrap his arms around me as I began to sob, his hand tangling in my hair.

"I do not know what to do now. I have no guidance, no mother to help me through this… I want to go home, to Frigga and have her hold us," I wept, wishing only to hide in Thor's embrace. "And we are not even married…"

"Halea," he moaned once, his pain and fear tangible as my own was.

I tried to hold him even as he fell to his knees, Thor holding me around my midsection. I only entwined my fingers in his locks, my betrothed pressing his face into my stomach as I continued to cry. I did not know if Thor wept or not, but I comforted him the best I could as he shook, my other hand resting on his shoulder.

I started with a gasp, my hand pressing to my stomach almost as if to make sure my unborn child was still safe in my womb. Panting and gasping, I turned to Thor's side of the bed, finding it cold and empty. I searched the darkness of my room with straining eyes, my sight falling on the dark figure standing at the window, illuminated only briefly by a bolt of lighting.

He was silent, brooding, staring out at the night.

The sound of rain was soft against the windows, Thor's hand moving to press against the glass. Without a word, I moved to join him, his body moving unconsciously towards my own as my naked body brushed against his. As I looked at him, his face was calm, his lips parted just the smallest bit as his hair fell forward into his eyes. "You are right- we are needed in Asgard. And Asgard is needed more now than ever before," he said almost emotionlessly, Thor moving to touch my stomach tentatively. I pressed my hand over his and bit down on my bottom lip, knowing that even as strong as he was, if anything happened to our child, it would tear him apart. "I need you to be safe, well- and I need him to live. I have already lost Asgard, my father; I cannot bear to lose anything else."

"You will not lose me," I said, smiling tearfully as he bent down to press his forehead against mine.

His eyes searched mine before closing, his hand cupping my cheek lovingly as thunder shook the window panes. "No, I will not."