Chapter 25

Maria's soft smile was permanently etched on her lips, the dreamy look on her face just unmovable. At 23 weeks pregnant, she just couldn't wait to meet her children now.

The Soul Forge had brought it all home; and now she wanted them here, now. She was more excited than ever.

It was reassuring to know they were healthy. That was all she wanted to know. She was glad they had kept their legs modestly crossed – she wanted it to be a surprise when they came, even though it would probably put Thor's mind at rest to know what they were having. She preferred not knowing though. She wanted to dream about it a little bit more.

Her hand stroked over her stomach as she walked leisurely down the corridor, the morning bathing through the open windows and casting a warm glow around the palace.

"You just need to turn around." She murmured with a smile.

Both of their heads were just under her ribs; which was fine for now, but would be more dangerous if they stayed that way. She needed them head down for birth – at least one of them, if not both. Still, they had time…

For so often, she'd been engrossed in other women having their babies that it felt strange to be on the other side of the spectrum. Finally, she could truly understand the wistful, dreaming smiles on their faces. At last she understood why listening to the heartbeat on the Doppler meant so much to them. The Soul Forge hadn't been able to do that for Maria, but she could imagine it now; those first glimpses of their unborn children, even their heartbeats. Miraculous.

Hello.

Her hand stilled as the voice echoed in her head, a voice she hadn't heard for a while: Loki?

He hadn't spoken to her like this for weeks. Gods, she hadn't seen him in nearly a fortnight anyway! It was weird hearing his voice again; she hadn't been sure he would want to speak to her, not yet at least. She had wanted him to settle into his new chambers before she disturbed him again.

How are you?, she thought into the silence.

She could hear the sad note to Loki's voice, slightly more subdued than usual. What had happened?

I'm not unwell, replied her in her head. The chambers they gave me are quite luxurious in comparison to the prison.

A small smile flittered over Maria's face as she heard that; she was glad he was happy in his accommodation. She hadn't had a chance to see it for herself, but she had trusted Odin to keep his word. It seemed he had. The generals had not managed to sway him.

She tried to keep the glee out of her voice though: I am glad. Does Sigyn visit?

Often.

The smile in that one word was obvious and Maria let her hand fall from her bump as she came to a door and paused by it, chuckling softly to herself.

She really ought to visit Loki; it had been too long since she'd last seen him and she didn't want him to feel abandoned with this change of environment. Especially as it was her fault. She was sure Loki didn't mind her interference, but… he'd gone from waiting for death to living in luxury – such a drastic change had to stir something in ones emotions surely.

When she had first met Thor, she'd gone from a regular person to having her life hunted, overnight. She remembered how that had felt.

Bad.

The uncertainty was what she had hated the most. Uncertain of who she could trust, of what was real, what she could do to improve her chances of survival. Ultimately, there was nothing she could do. It was all down to Thor's protection and Loki's ambition that decided her fate.

Loki must be feeling that same uncertainty. Nothing about his fate was in his own hands; it was all decided by Odin and the politicians that whispered in his ear.

Sighing, Maria placed her hand on the door handle and braced herself to open it, not sure what to say next to her brother-in-law. It was difficult to gauge his mood based on his thoughts alone. All the same, she couldn't maintain two different conversations in her mind at once. Not properly; not while Thor didn't know about her and Loki's connection.

She almost felt sad letting Loki go. I have to go, she said quietly in her head. He didn't answer. She hadn't expected him to.

Shrugging Loki out of her mind, she turned the door handle soon as the door opened, her jaw dropped: "Oh my, God…"

Her eyes scanned around the room as she took numb steps forward, letting her eyes drink everything in. Around her, filling the room, was every manner of baby supplies Maria could think of, her extravagant husband stood beaming in the middle of it all.

His arms spread wide. "Isn't this wonderful!" he chuckled, stepping forward. "The citizens of Asgard have been very generous."

All this was donated?!

Staring around, Maria was overwhelmed by the pure scale of stuff: so many cots, clothes, wardrobes, blankets, trinkets of good luck and fortune, rocking horses… there was more than enough stuff for all the children they would ever have, let alone one pair of twins. They certainly wouldn't go without.

"My God, Thor…" Maria was still breathless.

She was stunned as Thor reached her and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He seemed unfazed by the vastness of what was around them.

"What?" he beamed around. "The princes and princesses of Asgard should have all they desire."

Instinctively, Maria scoffed. "All I had growing up was a Moses basket and things knitted by my grandparents." Their lives had been very humble back on Earth. Looking around at everything, she hoped her children would not grow up spoiled. It would be so easy.

Thor pressed a kiss into Maria's cheek and her lips fluttered in a small smile. "From now on, you will have everything. And so will our children."

But I don't want everything, Maria answered instantly in her head. She was used to having enough to get by and nothing more, nothing unnecessary. She wanted to keep it that way. "Thor, I think this is too much." She blurted out quietly, eyes still scanning endlessly around her. "I mean, it's incredibly generous, but…it's just too much."

Thor's arms just tightened softly around her. "What we do not use for these children, we will use for the next."

"It's still too much."

How many people had donated all of this stuff? Hundreds? More? Maria was grateful for their kindness, but she resented the fuss. Just like the ball. It was a life she was not used to and probably would never fully accept.

"You are unhappy with this?"

Finally, Maria tore her gaze from her surroundings and back down to her husband beside her. His concerned blue eyes pierced through hers.

Guilt swamped her instantly, knowing he would not understand. He was only trying to provide the best for his family, she knew. Biting her tongue, she cupped his cheek softly and changed the subject. "I'm worried about giving birth." She confessed.

No matter how much she thought it over, she was not reassured. Birth in itself in a new realm was worrying enough, but birthing twins…Maria was afraid as to what that would hold, especially if the babies stayed facing the wrong way. Back on Earth, if things went wrong, she knew she could have an operating theatre with a safe Caesarean section merely seconds away; what would they do to her on Asgard?

Thor's expression softened and a relaxed smile flittered across his face. "My mother would not let any harm befall you or our children." He reassured, covering her hand with his over his cheek. "You are in safe hands, Maria. You have nothing to fear."

He leaned forward and kissed her chastely on the lips, but Maria didn't feel any more comforted by her husband's reassurance. She had expected it though; he just didn't understand.

"I trust your mother." Maria said honestly, lip snagging her bottom lip nervously. "But I am still scared."

Thor's eyes probed her face carefully. "We have pain relief here." Thor ventured on. "If that is your concern…"

"No…" Mari sighed, bowing her head.

She wasn't quite sure she could explain it. How could she? Was there even words to describe the fear that lingered deep down inside; that fear that all that awaited her was endless, brutal pain, and that at the end of it, she might not be there anymore. It terrified her. She had no idea what would happen to her here.

Perhaps that was it, she thought. Perhaps it was just the pure anxiety of not knowing. Childbirth was so natural, but so deadly if things went wrong…and with twins, things could most definitely go wrong.

"Are there any birthing rites from your culture that we need to prepare for?"

Maria blinked, the questions catching her off guard and distracting her. "What?" she frowned at Thor.

He met her gaze calmly. "When the children are born, is there any ceremony your religion dictates you need perform?"

She had understood his question the first time around but had been surprised that he had considered that fact that it left her stunned. She knew that Thor accepted her religion for her own practice, but hadn't expected him to consider how it might affect their future or their children. Her lips slowly stretched into a broad smile.

She would like to have the babies christened, but at the same time she didn't want to travel with them to Earth. Travelling, by either Bifrost of Tesseract, would be too rough for babies. It might have to be something she saved for when they were older.

"Nothing urgent." She reassured with a light shake of her head. "Not for now." Her eyes fell down to her bump. "I just want them here now." She chuckled, smoothing a hand over her unborn children.

"I know the feeling." Thor murmured gently, easing closer and letting his hand cover hers over her stomach. "Our children will be wonderful, just like their mother."

Maria giggled. "As long as they don't end up as extravagant as their father." She teased, sparkling eyes meeting his.

Her husband's lips stretched in a smirk and she gasped all of a sudden as he ducked down and swept her up in his arms in the skip of a heartbeat. Her hands flung around his neck instantly, clinging to him. Her heart was fluttering as her startled gaze met Thor's.

"You've never complained before." He mused in a voice as soft as velvet, giving her goosebumps.

Maria wasn't sure what it was, but something stopped her as her lips started to smile. They paused in their small grin, frozen in place.

Then they started to fall.

She remembered this feeling. It wasn't just happiness – it was mind numbing happiness; heart fluttering happiness; soul melting happiness; time stopping happiness. And Thor was going to such lengths to secure it and butter her up. It reminded Maria of one thing: the cabin trip. The distraction.

What was he distracting her from this time? Surely, it could only be one thing… "Where have they gotten in this time?" she asked quietly.

Her eyes dropped a heartbeat before Thor's did and her heart sank bitterly. She didn't want to see the look she knew would be in his sad gaze – she could feel it rolling off him in waves. Stiffly, Thor set her back on the ground again.

Brushing off her skirts in distraction, Maria kept her eyes on the ground. She listened to Thor's footsteps wander away a step.

"To the east," Thor finally sighed, a few paces away. "There was another fraction in the north not long ago as well. Nothing too large, not a danger at all, but it is worrying how they continue to break through our borders. We cannot understand…"

A chill brushed over Maria and she hugged her arms around herself. Thor had never told her any of this before. At least he was telling her now.

"Are you worried?" she asked quietly.

Thor hesitated before he answered, but Maria knew what he was going to say long before he said it. "Yes. Yes, I am."

XXX

A knock on the door was as ambiguous as could be, but Loki knew who was behind it instantly.

His eyes flickered up from his book straight to the door, just in time to see Maria's gentle smile peek around it. He sat up from his reclined position on the couch in an instant.

"Maria."

It slipped from his mouth before he could help it, book falling from his numb fingers. It fell to the floor with a thud. Loki barely heard it.

He rose to his feet as Maria slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She looked positively radiant. His anger had twisted his memory of her into something cruel, but he was glad she was here to correct him.

Her big brown eyes were softer than he remembered, bright as they settled on him. Her usually loose brown hair was tied in one long braid that lay over her shoulder, with gentle strands curled either side of her face. Her hand settled on the generous bloom of her stomach over the white dainty dress she wore, delicate little flat shoes on her feet.

Loki scoured in every detail as if it would be the last time he would ever see her. He wanted to replenish his memory of her.

"I hope you don't mind." She said in a voice fairer than Loki remembered. His cruel memory had really warped what he knew of her.

She hoped he didn't mind?! Loki's lips flickered in a disbelieving smile at her words; he'd been waiting for her to come, but hadn't felt like he'd had the right to ask it of her.

Still, she was here. "Did Thor tell you?" he asked, reigning in his grin a little.

When Thor had come, he'd asked for him to pass along his apology. He hadn't had the guts to say it to Maria over their mind link. Maria deserved better than that anyway. She deserved having it said to her face.

Her teeth snagged her bottom lip, eyes flickering down. "He told me he'd come to see you and you'd had an, erm…interesting conversation." She chuckled slightly as her gaze glanced back up to his. "I don't know what you said to him, but he couldn't stop thinking about whatever it was for days."

Loki's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't expected that. What had stuck with Thor? Guilt? Loki's apology for Maria? He hadn't of thought Thor would have lost much sleep over their visit, but perhaps he was wrong. Maria wasn't one for lying.

Then again, lots of things were different now. He needed to get used to that perhaps.

Thor had said he wanted to be brothers and if not brothers, then friends. Was that true, then? Loki hadn't wanted to believe it of Thor, but maybe…

"I'm sorry." He whispered, almost inaudibly.

The smile had slipped from his lips as the words finally left him, but he couldn't look at Maria while he said it. The shame he felt weighted down his gaze until he was almost apologising to his own shoes. It wasn't something he was used to. Feeling guilt, apologising…but he had mulled it over a long time in his solitude since being taken off the chopping block.

He didn't deserve much for what he had done, but Maria had fought for him anyway. He'd insulted, hurt, threatened, tortured and tormented Maria endlessly since he'd known her, but she hadn't shown him anything but kindness.

Since he was granted his extra bout of freedom and since Thor had told him the reason that was given to him, he'd found it hard to think of Maria.

Just because he had found it hard to face the guilt he felt related to Maria.

Sigyn had encouraged him to face it. As always, she had been the voice of wisdom for him. She was right though. Maria had done a hell of a lot for him and the fact that he couldn't even think of thanking her for her good deeds… it was shameful. It was that kind of attitude that had landed him in chains in the first place.

Facing it though… there was a lot for him to atone for. "I've done you great wrong." He admitted quietly, fist clenching and unclenching at his side. "What happened on Midgard, your father's book…I treated you with such contempt." The words were hard to spit out, not used to being so contrite. If he was to be humble for anyone though, it was to be for her. "I'm sorry for everything."

He forced his gaze to lift, forcing himself to look at Maria at last. He didn't know what he'd expected, but he didn't expect to see Maria's frown, her eyes so wary. Gods, she almost looked like she was going to back away from him.

His own brow furrowed in surprise. "What?" blurted from his mouth, confused.

Maria's lips quirked in the corners. "Sorry," she smiled apologetically. Her eyes still gleamed warmly though, smoothing out her brow again. "I just wasn't expecting to hear you say that."

Loki's eyes rolled away. "You and me both…" he grumbled.

Watching Loki's moody gaze shift, Maria felt bad. She hadn't meant it as an insult - she just genuinely hadn't expected an apology without some sort of trick to follow it! But Loki looked so disgruntled by it… she stepped forward and touched her hand to his shoulder. He flinched, but didn't pull away. She guessed this was the first time someone had kindly touched him since the before he had left for Earth. "Hey," she smiled softly. "Thank you."

Her eyes linked with his and she held her smile. The leather jacket he wore was surprisingly soft to touch; "This is nice." She grinned, patting his shoulder.

Loki frowned for a moment before he glanced down to her hand and realised what she was talking about. When his eyes flickered up again, they were lighter than before. "Asgardian leather." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Firm, but flexible." His lips flickered at the corners, eyes suddenly slightly wistful. "Frigga had them brought from my chambers."

Maria's smile stretched wider. "See." She squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "They haven't given up on you just yet."

The god's eyes glanced away as he chuckled and stepped away from Maria's reach, wondering leisurely around to the window in the wall. The sunshine washed over his face as he stepped into the suns rays, beaming in from the world outside. "If you could get me out there next, I would be grateful."

He had been given a nice room, Maria thought as she wondered to stand alongside Loki. There was a large bookshelf, the fairly sized window with a nice view of the kingdom, the couch and a small table in the middle of the room… everything was immaculate compared to the cell he had been in before. From the window, Loki had a perfect view of the city: of the square below, the houses and forests, with the mountains in the distance.

No wonder he wanted to be free to see more of that, she thought, gazing at the idyllic landscape. "Today, the King." Maria murmured through her smirk. "Tomorrow, the world."

Loki chuckled. "Gods help Thor when those babies are born and there are two more of you…"

At that, Maria's heart skipped a beat. "They're girls?!"

Her eyes spun around to Loki, wide and round. Two more like her – two girls? Was that what Loki was saying? Thor needed sons…

Loki's just smirked. "I don't know." He admitted. "I can sense their consciousnesses, but they're not exactly thinking in a language I can understand. Just feelings and senses, not words."

It was fascinating that Loki could sense the babies, even if there was nothing specific to hear. It was still reassuring for Maria. At least they were healthy; surely Loki would be able to tell if it was otherwise. Her hand smoothed over her bump and she let her eyes fall to her stomach. She could feel them shifting under her fingers, little bumps as they jerked in her womb.

Glancing up, her eyes caught Loki's. His emerald orbs sparkled as he held her gaze and she felt her lips curve into a smile. Her finger slightly drummed on her stomach. "Wanna feel?"

She caught the little flash in Loki's orbs and the tiny fault in his smirk. All the same, she didn't revoke her offer.

But when his lips pressed tightly together, she knew his answer. Before he could say it though, she reached out and grabbed his hand, flattening it over the curve of her stomach and her unborn children.

"I trust you." She insisted, watching Loki suck in a deep breath and covering his hand with hers over her bump. She could feel his fingers twitch, but he didn't pull them away. "I forgive you. I want to help you regain the life you had before – why is that so hard for you to understand?!"

Loki's eyes were transfixed on her belly and Maria could feel the babies moving – Loki must be able to too. In fact, she knew he could. "I, erm…"

He gulped hard, and suddenly his eyes bolted back up to hers, unreadable and guarded. His hand snatched away from her and he put more distance between them, turning to face the wall.

"I will never understand that." He whispered harshly, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "No matter how many times I read that book, I could never understand it. Just because the book tells you to, you can forgive me? It makes no sense…"

Maria didn't move, hand still over her belly. She sighed softly, gently eyeing the back of Loki's head.

"I want this family to work." She finally said, her smile dead and gone. If Loki wanted blunt truth, then fine, she would give it to him. "I don't want these babies to be born and their father's brother is a stranger that they can't talk about anymore."

That was her biggest dread. She didn't want such a dark shadow hanging over her and her babies. She wanted her children's lives to be perfect and she would be damned if anybody would try and stop that.

She didn't take her gaze off Loki's raven hair. "I want you to be a part of our family." She pressed on, watching Loki's hands fall to his sides as he listened. "I don't blame you for what happened to me. If I hadn't had that fate, then I would never have met Thor."

Sure, what had happened to her with Loki had been nightmares, had been traumatic, but if he hadn't been after her then Thor would never have been assigned to protect her and she would never have met him. This life would never have existed and she would have continued to be a beaten wreck in her brother's shadow. She was saved from that.

"I was saved from a worse fate thanks to you needing to kill me on Earth." She went on quietly, gaze falling numbly to the floor. "Without you and the life you brought, I would probably be dead by now. I owe you."

Her eyes flickered up as she said the last of her words, just in time to see Loki slowly turn around, his eyes dark. Not in a dangerous way though – it was more like in thought, concern. It was strange to think Loki might be worried for her. A good strange though.

His eyes scoured over her face for a moment before they finally settled on her face. "Your brother?" he asked quietly.

She nodded once with a stiff, humourless smile. "My brother."

"I'm sorry."

Her lips pricked in the corners and she felt a spark come back to her orbs. "His actions aren't yours to apologise for."

"No, but," Loki held her gaze gently as he wondered forward towards her. "I deserved my suffering. You did not deserve yours."

Maria simply shrugged. "Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character-"

"And character, hope." Loki interceded with a soft, knowing smile. "And hope does not put us to shame."

A broad smile stretched across Maria's lips in a heartbeat as Loki finished the Bible verse for her. "You did read it." She murmured, meeting his sparkling emerald orbs.

Loki reflected her grin right back at her. "Yes, I did." He confessed with a chuckled.

It was nice to know that he had actually read her father's Bible, not just to ridicule her or question her characteristics. Even though it was now lost, it kind of made it worth while, knowing it had helped. That had been the point of giving it to him after all. If Loki had taken something away from that, then Maria was happy.

"Thor would have benefited from some of its wisdom." Loki said, distracting Maria from her thoughts. "He will need a reassuring influence when the pressures of King fall on him."

Maria sighed sadly as she cast her mind to Thor. She remembered the troubled look that was near permanently etched on his face since she'd guessed about the Frost Giants break its. It broke her heart to see him so burdened and not being able to help.

"He's already feeling those pressures." She sighed heavily, heart even heavier. She knew she probably shouldn't be telling Loki such things, but she didn't really care.

"When he rode off to battle?" Loki probed softly. "That will inevitably happen again, as one of Asgards sworn protectors."

Maria shook her head. "No, not just that…"

Loki probably didn't know about the Frost Giants and their break ins, she realised. Gods, she hadn't known until she'd guessed it from Thor. The guards wouldn't exactly give Loki a news bulletin of Asgardian affairs. He was cut off from the world in this room.

With Loki as a Frost Giant though, the guards probably had even more mistrusting reasons to make sure Loki knew nothing about others of his kind breaching the city. It had been Loki who had let them in before in the first place, she remembered from what Thor had told her. That had been before she had known either of them. Thor had told her about how Loki had let the Frost Giants in, through secret passageways unknown to all but himself.

Suddenly, Maria's eyes flickered to life as she realised something – that was how the Frost Giants were getting in this time!

No one knew those secret entrances into Asgard, so no one could guard them. The Frost Giants would still have known them from when Loki showed them however. That must be how they were continually sneaking through their defences.

Her bright eyes snapped up and caught those of her brother-in-law. "Do you still remember the secret passages in and out of Asgard?" she asked abruptly. "The ones you used before – with the Frost Giants?"

For a moment, Loki's brow furrowed and he said nothing, obviously confused. His sharp green eyes scoured over her questioningly.

Finally though, he tentatively gave Maria the answer she was hoping for: "Yes." He answered hesitantly. "Why?"

Maria just smiled.

A/N

Hello, all.

Sorry for the delay in updating this. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a perfectionist moment and realised I was not happy with the way this story had previously been written. As a result, my OCD felt obliged to edit and rewrite. Nothing much has changed plot wise, just the way it is written really. I'm sorry for that.

All this editing is now finished however and so I can FINALLY get back to writing new material and continuing with the story. Updates should come a lot quicker for you now.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused and please feel free to shoot me your thoughts in a review/ message!