Yet another week passed and Loki had still not woken up. The smallest of his wounds had pretty much healed. The larger wound on his chest was finally starting to heal. Ava had just woken up and was checking Loki's bandages. "Needing changed again." she muttered to herself.

She then cut away the soiled bandages and examined the wound. "It's starting to look a little better." She said partially to herself and partially to her unconscious husband. "You're going to be better before you know it." She told him, as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

Over the last week, she had taken to talking to Loki while she was doing things to take care of him. She hoped that he could hear her and somehow, hearing her voice was helping him. "Let's get this cleaned up. Have to keep you from getting an infection."

She then washed his wound and dried it before applying the salve. "You know...sometimes I think you're awake, but you're pretending not to be just so I'll keep taking care of you." She said her tone teasing. "Of course, if that were the case, I'd give you even worse wounds than this for putting me through all of this."

Once she finished with the salve, Ava began to recover Loki's wound with fresh clean bandages. She then pressed her lips to his forehead. "At least your fever is finally gone." However, she still grabbed a wash cloth and wet it. She ran it over his skin, making sure to keep him clean as she could.

Once Ava had finished with all of this, she cleaned her hands and then sat beside him on the bed. She was running her fingers through his dark locks and humming, when he eyelids began to flutter and he began to groan. "Loki." Ava breathed, her fingers pausing in his hair.

Loki's green eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times as if to clear his vision. "Ava?" He asked.

Ava smiled and tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Loki." She said as she threw her arms around him.

"Oh...Ah." Loki cried out.

Ava instantly let go of her husband and pulled back away from him, a sheepish look on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I was just so happy to see you wake up."

Loki gave her a smile. "If I didn't...know any better...I'd say...you've been...worried about...me."

Ava leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. "You've no idea...I'd better go get the healers to come and examine you." She was then up and out the door before Loki could even think of protesting.

"Yes, Princess?" The head healer greeted Ava from her desk.

"Loki is awake." Ava said.

The healers then gathered in Loki's room to examine him. They made Ava wait outside of his room, while they did this. Ava waited impatiently outside the door. It felt like forever when it finally opened. "Is he going to be alright?" She asked.

"I believe he is through the worst of it." The head healer answered. "He will need to stay here a few more days before I allow him to leave, but I believe he will make a full recovery."

"Thank the gods." Ava said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Send word to the rest of the family."

"Of course." The healer replied, stepping aside to allow Ava to reenter Loki's room.

Ava walked in and closed the door behind her. She saw that Loki was staring at the cot. "Is something wrong, Loki?" Ava asked.

"Why is there a cot I here?" He asked.

"I slept in here." Ava answered, as she walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. She then took his hand in hers.

Loki looked up at his wife. "Why?"

Before Ava could answer Thor was bursting in the room with Frigga and Odin behind him. "It's about time you wake up, Brother." Thor said with a happy smile on his face.

"Yes, you had us all worried." Frigga said.

"Especially your poor wife, here." Thor added. "She hasn't left your side once since you've been in here."

Ava felt her cheeks redden upon Thor's mentioning of this. Of course, she had been about to tell Loki this herself, but that was different. She could feel Loki's gaze on her, trying to figure her out.

"Thor, why don't you leave all of that for them to talk about when we are gone?" Frigga told her eldest son.

"Yes, Mother." Thor replied.

"How are you feeling Loki?" Odin interrupted.

"Like I've been asleep for years." Loki answered.

"Well, two weeks is more like it, Brother." Thor teased.

"Two weeks?" Loki asked, looking at Ava, as if the question were for her and her alone.

Ava nodded. "Yes, two weeks."

The family stayed a few moments longer, talking before they left. Leaving Loki and Ava alone once again. Loki looked up at his wife. "So...two weeks you slept on this cot? Two weeks you have stayed by my sick bed day and night?" He asked.

Ava nodded. "I...I just couldn't leave you."

Loki smiled at this. "So, you were worried about me." He teased.

Ava looked away from Loki's eyes and down at their joined hands. She began to play with his hand between hers as she spoke what she knew she needed to tell him. "While you were gone...I...I found myself thinking about you all the time. I kept wondering what you were doing and if you were alright...and wishing you were home with me...I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Loki replied. "When I was getting tired and battle weary, I would think about you and how much I wanted the war to be over so I could come home to you and I would be ready to charge off into battle."

"I...I never realized how much you mean to me until you weren't here." Ava said, not sure what to say to what Loki had told her. "I couldn't sleep without you...and then...then when Fandral said you had been injured...I...I ran out of the throne room into here to find you...and when I saw you like this...I..."

Loki pulled his hand from Ava's and lifted it to cup her face. "It's alright, Darling."

Ava looked into Loki's eyes. "It was at that moment...looking at you so grievously wounded...and weak...and the possibility of never seeing you smile again...or hear your laugh...or hear you speak...it...it tore me up...it was that moment that I knew...I couldn't live without you. That moment...that made me realize...I love you, Loki."

Loki felt his heart soar at this news. He moved his hand so that it was at the back of Ava's head and he urged her forward and down, bringing her lips to his. Ava's lips molded to his and one of her hands found its way to his cheek. Loki broke the kiss after a few moments, but still held Ava close so that he could gaze into her eyes. "I love you, Ava." Though he had felt this way for a long time, it was the first time he had said it aloud...and it felt rather good to be able to say it.

Ava smiled at him. "It feels good to say it where you can actually hear me and say it back."

Loki chuckled. "It feels good to hear you say it my darling." He was then pulling her in for another kiss.